- BEYOND THIS MOUNTAIN
Robert F. Dotson © 2018
"I ain't never been beyond this here mountain,"
The elderly woman said.
"It's right here I was born, got married,
Raised my children,"
"And buried my dead."
Her face had a leathery look,
From too many days in the sun.
I figured only God knew,
How much hard work she'd done!
Each line in her face,
Could tell a story of its own!
Nobody will ever understand,
The heartaches she's known.
As she slowly spoke,
There was a faraway look in her eyes.
But, then she took me completely,by surprise,
She said,
"What brings you to these here parts, young man?"
Slowly I tried to explain,
I felt it was part of God's plan.
"I'm a preacher, Ma'am," I enthusiastically replied,
Although I felt a little shaky inside!
As I Listened to the antiquated rocking chair squeak,
And waited for my host to continue to speak,
I whispered to God a silent prayer,
Because I knew in my heart He had sent me there!
She finally broke the silence,
In a voice soft and low,
Saying, "I knew you was a comin'!"
"God told me so!"
"Young man, I ain't got much of this world's goods,"
"And I ain't never been beyond these here piney woods."
"Ah, but as a little girl I learned to pray,"
"And Lord knows that's been many a day!"
"God has been with me in times of joy,"
"And also the saddest time of all when we lost our baby boy."
“That youngun was the pride and joy of my husband, Will!"
"Now they lie together yonder 'neath that little grassy hill."
"Will and me had a house full of younguns,
But they all moved away."
"And they had a fit when Will died and I decided to stay."
"But no amount of coaxin' was goina do any good."
"They's only one way this old lady's goina' leave her piney woods!"
Then she said, "Young man, I don't know when I've chattered so,"
"But, I don't see too awful many folks around here, you know!"
She said, "I go by Lizzie but Elizabeth is my given name,"
If you called me either one I guess I'd answer just the same!"
"How long have you been a Christian, Lizzie," I said with a smile,
Thinking to myself it probably had been quite awhile.
She said, "I'll be ninety years old right soon!'"
"I accepted Jesus on my tenth birthday,"
"The twelfth day of June!"
I thought,
"This precious lady,"
"Has spent eighty years serving the Lord!'"
"When she gets up to Heaven,"
"She will surely receive a great reward!"
Lizzie said, "Like I told you before I was a youngun' then"
"Ah but, I very well knew the true meaning of sin."
"So, when Jesus came in and rid my soul of sin and strife,"
"I vowed then and there I'd serve Him,"
"For the rest of my life!"
"And young man, I am proud to say,"
"My Saviour still dwells in my heart today!"
She said, "My Mammy and Pappy never saw the need,"
"For any of us younguns' to go to school and learn to read."
"You know, I made it through life,"
"Without readin' somehow,"
"But, I'd give anything in this world to learn to read now!"
"You see, my younguns' and other folks always read to me,"
"But, now I want to learn to do it myself!" "Don't you see?"
'"Oh yes, I want to read the Holy Book myself!"
"Would you please fetch that Bible down from the shelf?"
I reached up and got a Bible down,
Which was faded with age,
And when I handed it to Lizzie,
She caressed every page!
She said, "I want to read that scripture,”
“Do you know the one I mean."
"Would you please help me find,”
John chapter three, verse sixteen?"
Then, she handed the Bible back to me,
With her eyes opened wide,
Like a little child opening a gift to find out what's inside!
I slowly read, "For God so loved the world,”
“That He gave His only begotten Son,"
Lizzie hung on to each word until my reading was done!
Then she said, "Them words are so dear,”
“To this old lady's heart!."
"Tell me, young man when can we start?"
By that time it was getting up in the day,
But, I said, "Let's get started right away!"
Ah, it was a labor of love,
And my heart was stirred,
As Lizzie struggled to recognize,
And pronounce each precious word!
"For God so loved the world,”
“That He gave His only begotten Son."
Time after time we repeated each word,
Until the verse was done!
"That whosoever believeth on Him should not perish,"
"But have everlasting life!"
Ah, this verse had been the means of many,
Escaping a world of sin and strife!
I eagerly visited Lizzie several days a week,
And we were so engrossed in our work,
We hardly took time to speak!
Then, early one morning I knocked on her door,
And when she opened it,
She was as excited as a child once more!
She said, "Hurry up and come in, Dear,"
"I have something I want you to hear!"
Tears filled my eyes as I joyfully heard,
Lizzie reading perfectly each and every word!
Then she said, "Mercy me, Id better catch my breath!"
It was then I sensed the cold hand of death.
Ah, Lizzie knew well that her life had come to an end,
So, she didn't even struggle for death was her friend!
And as the angels came to bear away Lizzie's soul,
I smiled knowing she had accomplished her goal!
================================================ - DOES JESUS LOVE ME TOO?
- Robert F. Dotson © 2015
When Mrs. Price heard the doorbell ring,
Her heart began to sing,
For she knew her little visitor was on time!
As she opened the door,
Precisely at four,
Her grandfather clock began to chime!
Darla was in tears,
So Mrs. Price calmed her fears,
As she held her close to her heart!
She felt so sorry for the little dear,
And she too shed a tear,
As she prayed they would never have to part.
That Darla was not well,
Was easy to tell!
She wasn't much more than skin and bone!
Her mother was on dope.
She had lost all hope,
And had a habit of leavin' Darla alone.
Many nights the little darlin' hadn't eaten,
And she was badly beaten,
By her mother's cruel "live in."
But, going on four o'clock each day,
The little girl would slip away,
Without Momma knowin' where she had been.
Momma would always sleep 'til six.
Then she would go out for a fix,
And be gone for the rest of the night.
Momma would go out with the men.
Then, she would come draggin' in,
As it started to become daylight.
Mrs. Price noticed that today,
Darla had little to say.
She didn't want anything to eat at all.
She just sat in the chair,
And continued to stare,
At a picture of Jesus hanging on the wall.
Then the little girl said to Mrs. Price,
"That man sure seems nice,"
"With the little kids sittin' on His knee!"
"He looks so good and kind,"
"Do you think He would mind,"
"If one of the little kids was me?"
As Mrs. Price softly cried,
She tenderly replied,
"Jesus would love to have you on His knee!"
"You see, In the Bible I have read,"
"Where Jesus lovingly said,"
"'Suffer the little children to come unto Me!"
Later, Mrs. Price drifted off into a nap,
So, Darla sneaked down off her lop,
And quietly crept out the door!
She was startled to hear the six O'clock chime,
For she knew since she wouldn't get home on time,
She would never see Mrs. Price anymore!
Getting home Darla found the door open wide,
And as she slowly stepped inside,
In terror she took a deep breath!
She tried her best to explain,
But, there was no stopping the inflicted pain,
As her mother beat her to death.
The morning paper the next day,
In a full page display,
Describe the death of this young victim in detail.
A nearby neighbor had found,
Little Darla lying on the ground,
But, attempts of reviving her were to no avail.
When Mrs. Price opened her door,
And retrieved the morning newspaper from the floor,
She could hardly believe her eyes.
For there on the very front page,
It said , "MOM GETS IN A RAGE,"
"AND LITTLE TEN YEAR OLD GIRL DIES."
Then Mrs. Price's breaths got farther apart,
And with the stopping of her heart,
Her long life came to an endl
But, as she bid this old world goodby,
Her soul went soaring through the sky,
To meet Darla and Jesus their friend
===================================================================================
- LIVING THE GOOD LIFE!
- Lord, in Your presence,
Is fullness of joy,
And at Your right hand,
Are pleasures forevermore!
You have given me a peace,
The world cannot destroy,
And showered me with blessings,
From Your bountiful store!
Old satan cannot come near.
So, there’s no cause for alarm,
For You cast out doubt and fear,
And he can do me no harm!
As through this life I trod,
On the way to my eternal goal,
I place my faith in God,
The Keeper of my soul!
So, no matter what comes my way,
Be it sickness, sorrow, or strife,
At my journey’s end I shall say,
“Lord, it’s been a good life!”
By Robert F. Dotson ©2015
================================================
- FRIEND, WHAT IF.........?
What if entrance to Heaven was gained by paying a toll,
Or we had to have our name on a certain church roll?
What if we had to be handsome or pretty,
Or even had to be wise or witty?
What if we had to have either curly or straight hair,
Or had to spend several times a day chanting a prayer?
What if we had to be either fat or thin,
Or Heaven excluded either women or men?
What if we were judged by the color of our face,
Or were even kept out because of our birthplace?
What if only the swift won Life's race,
Or there was no such thing as "amazing grace?"
What if contact with Heaven, - Was limited to daylight hours,
Or the Great God, Jehovah had a limit on His powers?
What if Jesus had refused to implement Salvation's plan,
And there was no sacrifice for "fallen man?"
What if somehow He couldn't arise from the grave,
And there existed no power our souls to save?
What if there was no Heavenly Father up above,
And the world had never known God's wonderful love?
What if the "big boom theory" really was true,
And our ancestors were monkeys and tadpoles too?
Friend, I'm sure glad all of these things are untrue,
And God loves the likes of me and you!
He always answers when we pray,
And loads us with benefits every day!
God's existence is not a theory! It's a natural fact!
And, He's the only one who can keep this world intact!
By Robert F. Dotson ©2015- =================================================================
- FOOTSTEPS IN THE NIGHT!
By Robert F. Dotson © 2015
The old man rose from his chair,
And opened the door.
He peered out into the night,
As he often had done before!
He knew that he had once again,
Heard the familiar sound,
Of "the Rider's pale horse,"
As its hoof beats jarred the ground.
As he slowly closed the door,
And put another log on the fire,
His mind went back to another day,
As the fire danced higher!
He knew why "the visitor"was coming,
And he vividly remembered his name!
"The visitor" had been an intruder,
The first two times he came.
In memory he saw his firstborn son,
Who had always been well,
Until one day while playing,
He suddenly fell.
The boy held onto life,
'Til the evening light grew dim.
Then the footsteps were deafening,
As "the visitor"came for him!
The boy's death left an empty spot,
But God gave him a girl and another boy!
And, over the years they had provided,
He and his wife much joy!
Oh, there had been some sorrow,
As there is in everyone's life.
But, after the kids left home,
They were happy just he and his wife!
Then, one cold and dreary night,
He could still recall when,
She lay so deathly sick,
And he heard the footsteps once again.
He knelt by her bedside,
And silently breathed a prayer,
As once again he felt the presence,
Of "the visitor"there.
When he took his darling to the graveyard,
And placed her in the ground,
Somewhere off in the distance,
He seemed to hear a joyful sound!
His darling was at home in Heaven,
Over on the beautiful shore,
And she would have no pain,
Or suffering anymore!
It was then and there he realized,
He would not have long to wait!
His precious darling would be waiting,
Just inside the Eastern gate!
As he returned to his chair,
And waited for his life down here to end.
He realized somehow that this time,
"The visitor" would be a friend!
They found him the next morning,
Sitting in his favorite chair,
With a smile on his face,
That death had gently placed there!