Anticipation

I see Him in the tulips

I planted beneath the snow,

The hyacinth and daffodils --

What joy to watch them grow.

Beside our picture window

The pink crab will display

A paradise of beauty;

Oh, ecstasy of May!

While gentle breeze blows through

And plays a symphony,

My heart sings, "Hallelujah!

I know He lives in me."

It's with anticipation

I wait for it to bloom;

I love to take them to God's house,

Or brighten up some room.

I think of all the wild flowers, too,

Untouched by human hand

In places where only God can see --

How beautiful His plan!

I look up in the heavens,

The soft clouds taking wing.

And in His plan for making man,

I see eternal spring.

Signs Of Abundance Of Rain

Does the present seem just a dark valley,

The future a mountain of fear?

Are shadows of doubt and suspense

Around you hovering near?

Life's trials, do you shrink from them,

Does it seem you've no strength to go through?

You have come to the end of yourself,

And think there's no more you can do?

Take courage, dear Christian, and listen:

The showers of blessings He'll send,

For dryness and darkness and shadows

Are signs of abundance of rain!

All poems on this page were written by Almena Springer

Growing Old Together (Gracefully)

(A poem to my husband on our anniversary)

I find I must write everything down

From a greeting card to a flannel nightgown;

Then if by chance I send the wrong list --

You may not think that gets me in a fix?

But this is not the least of my lamentation,

For my list goes to Dad, when he goes out today.

"Now be sure to get such and such," I say.

But still the problem is far from being solved yet,

For he has nine or ten pockets to get him upset.

To look through them all gets his arms out of socket;

I promise someday I'll sew all but one pocket.

I wait with expectancy, and I hope some grace,

When he walks in with a puzzled look on his face.

"To find that list," he says, "I was not able";

I go to the kitchen -- it's there on the table!

Prayers

I'm a pilgrim and a stranger;

This is temporary land.

On my journey to the future

God has made for me a plan,

In this land of transient beauty

Held me carefully today,

Holding lightly, never grasping

Things that soon shall pass away.

Help me, Lord, for Thee to witness,

Tell to other travelers too

Of a future that is brighter

Than the heavens above are blue.

Let my eyes be fixed on Jesus;

Cause my feet no more to roam.

Clouds of witnesses surround me;

I will find my pathway home.

There my pathway will be sunshine,

Not a tear to dim the eye.

Earthly cares I'll leave behind me,

There will vanish every sigh.

No more heartaches, no more sorrow,

And we'll never say, Good-bye.

When I step from earth to glory,

He will take me by the hand,

Lead me to my heavenly mansion

Built by Him and not by man.

I will shout thro' heaven's portals --

Angels echo back the strain --

"Glory, glory  --  praise His name."

Christmas Reminiscences

Once again it's Christmas,

The happiest time of the year;

And I start reminiscing

Of memories most dear.

We've lived in many places,

And spent the holidays,

So for just a little while

On some of these I'll gaze.

It seems that old New England

And Cape Cod's long arm

To the Christmas of my childhood

Lends a special charm.

There was Christmas in New Hampshire

When I was just a bride,

An inexperienced preacher's wife,

And many things beside.

Then Christmas in Lake Placid

Is so beautiful to see --

Snow blankets the sleeping ground

And decorates each tree.

We moved to Minnesota --

This is my husband's state.

I now shared in his family --

His relatives were great.

Our next move was North Dakota.

I learned to love the place,

Tho' I was often homesick

For the mountains, trees, and lake.

We then moved to Wisconsin;

And though the stay was short,

It leaves with us some memories

Of friends we loved a lot.

Back to North Dakota --

We feel like natives now;

For 14 years we've lived here --

We've wrinkles on our brow.

The miles, they seperate us,

And they would bid us stay;

But hearts go home if feet cannot

When it is Christmas Day.

Song playing is "There Is None Like You"