How can we hope to cover all the bases in our daily lives if we have no concept of what we believe? How can we possibly understand the reasons that our life unfolds unless we are aware of what we don?t believe? There are those who can?t possibly fathom the concept that the things ?we believe? and those ?we do not believe? are intrinsically connected.
Hope defines the boundaries between the two. How can we maintain our sanity within our professional life if we have no hope? We must try to keep a happy balance lest we lose perspective. Trying emotional times are part of the territory. When ?what we think, what we say and what we do? are all in harmony we discover ?something to do, something to love and something to hope for.
I leave you to contemplate the following thought.
Rural Funeral Director
Arrive at eight…
to church by ten,
we?re at the cemetery.
The morning sun,
warm on our backs,
? our routine seldom varies.
The first of May,
and on the trees
a hint of green, not brown.
The spring has come,
the winter?s gone,
all nature waits her crown.
We look upon
this quiet scene,
and wonder that we?re here.
To set the grave
… a little child
that perished… fire and fear.
Lower rough box,
one by three
into the four foot hole…
Set greens, well washed,
they?re five by six.
Device gleams… silver… cold.
As we step back,
survey our work
for neatness and perfection.
The thought comes hard,
the thought comes fast.
We?re making God?s connection!
For little child,
for old men too,
we set the graves with reverence.
They are the same,
in he?venly realms,
old or young… no difference.
And some will say
we set those graves
to only count the cash.
But we?ll allow
those comments small…
accept the sceptic?s lash.
If they once knew
the feeling… true
of standing here… so cursed…
We set the graves
for Kings and Slaves,
but… five-year olds are worst.
Randy McCormick c. 1976
