EDNA'S PRAYER FOR ED

EDNAS PRAYER FOR ED  (At Ed's Bed)

You might remember a story that once went around 

Bout a gatherin’ of church folks in my old home town

There was quite a ruckus caused by a prayer that was said

By a new member of the flock, a man named Ed

Now I saw Ed once again a few years back, as a favor

 and I thought to ask him if he remembered that prayer

It hadn’t been forgotten like prayers one usually hears

It had stayed there in my memory throughout the years

Ol’ Eds’ looks hadn’t changed a lot since then

Course his hair was whiter and his back was bent

You could see he was in there behind all the wrinkles

by the slight smile and the way his eyes would twinkle 

He’s the same guy who passed the hat and winked at me

But somethin’ was diff’rent and that was plain to see

You could see there was somethin’ else inside his mind

Something had changed inside him with the passin’ of time 

It was like he was watchin’ something that was hard to see

And when he fin’lly caught the time and place, he looked at me

He said son

 a lot of waters passed under the bridge since then

sometimes things just change and you don’t know when

I was younger and still pretty mad ‘bout all the things I’d lost

It seemed to me that all that God stuff had just too much cost.

Cause with all that had happened I just wasn’t sure  

That goin’ to church and prayin’ would hold any cure

that stupid ol’ prayer was just one way of shakin’ my fist 

to shout at a God I was sure didn’t even exist

My wife she was purty quiet on the way home that day

After the way I had acted there wasn’t much she could say

My prayer really wasn’t one, and that was real plain to see

She was so embarrassed I wasn’t sure she’d ever forgive me.

That night when she knelt down to pray

I was quite surprised at what she had to say

I was sure she wanted God to make me pay

For the unthankful things that I said that day

She told God that I just couldn’t understand

Why He didn’t give in to our simple demands

And why He gave man the freedom of choice

To follow, or not, direction of the Spirits small voice

I heard her ask God to give me some proof

And to show His loves personal and not so aloof.

Let him know this Lord for You sent us your Son

To wash clean mans sins since his time was begun

I waited for Ed as he paused, for a minute or two

Recalling Gods small whisper about what to do

He said He told me

To give thanks for all things whether big or small

And to read about Job from whom Satan took all.

Bad things can happen Ed, but it’s not all just a test

Practice Faith, Hope, and Charity to clean up a mess.

The next morning Ed remembered his wife’s prayer for proof

As church members kept commin’, some patched up his roof

He watched in amazement as those neighbors built him a shed

It was like they all had forgotten the kinda prayer that he’d said 

They all worked together, built a new barn and filled it with hay

Ed said he learned a lot about forgiveness in just that one day

And that to love your neighbor is more than just Gods plea

It’s a way of healin’ the pain that hides in you and in me.

He said to remember Hope’s a thing that let’s man keep on goin

And faith is belief in the good things without them really showin’

The wealth in our worlds are just work and things to tend

The real wealth and riches are God, our family and friends

Now I watched as Ed lay there restin’on that hospital bed

I wondered what thoughts were goin’ on there in his head

I could tell he had faith and could hear what God had to say

‘Cause Ol’ Ed he smiled, he winked, and then quietly he slipped away

Now I’m sure when ol Ed got to Heaven they all had a good laugh

About how Eds prayer had cleared up his path

And his wife’s prayer for The Spirit to give Ed the proof

And how The Spirit used Ed’s neighbors, to show him the truth.

I’m sure I’ll see ol’ Ed again

He’ll wink, and smile and say 

Welcome friend