THE PATHWAY TO HEAVEN

I thought the pathway to Heaven
Was free from trouble and care
Like a walk past a bubbling fountain
Where fragrances fill the air
I thought He'd surely lead me
To a life in the warmth of the sun
But found cold and indifferent strangers
Where my friendship was totally shunned
I thought the pathway to Heaven
Was traveled by many kind peers
Yet I found that faith-minded people
Are often unstable and victims of fear
I thought this journey should win one
The praise and approval of man
But, soon learned I was hated
Cursed and scorned by the damned

I found the pathway to Heaven
Held many snares of despair
A place where the climate can change
As a storm caught me quite unawares
When it passed I saw I was bleeding
And feared I was destined to die
So I turned my petitions to Heaven
But silence, - was my only reply

Surely Job had these kind of moments
Surely I now knew some of his pain
And I wondered if the prize was worth it
When I saw how life had changed
So I turned to the Bible for answers
It was there I soon was to learn
Christ’s own steps were not so easy
But grew harder with each passing turn

His friends all questioned his methods
And left Him alone in the end
To face the fierce wrath of the Father
Forsaken, rejected, - condemned
Therein is the great secret
For the path is so hard some days
But trusting Him to save us
Brings the peace that won't pass away

Copyright 2007/Stan Simons ASCAP