Second day of Lent - Thought for the day

In my post below about Gratitude, I mentioned how grateful I was to get wonderful emails from my Aunt Veron in Cork, yesterday I got another wonderful one from her and want to use it for today's thought for the day.

Veron mentions that she is very grateful for her family especially my cousin Gill who encouraged her to use the internet in the first place and had marvellous kindness and patience during her period of learning. Thanks Gill for your wonderful gift of encouragement as you have allowed Veron and I to communicate to each other and share our hopes, sadness, joys, our love of reading and grow our relationship as niece and aunt to another level that wouldnot be possible with the thousands of miles between us. Cannot wait to come home in April and celebrate your birthday on the 11th Veron, we have to have lunch that week!

Her is the wonderful poem that Aunt Verson shared with me in her email yesterday:


THE PATHWAY TO GOD
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IF MY DAYS WERE UNTROUBLED AND MY HEART ALWAYS LIGHT,
WOULD I SEEK THAT FAIR LAND WHERE THERE IS NO NIGHT
IF I NEVER GREW WEARY WITH THE WEIGHT OF MY LOAD,
WOULD I SEARCH FOR GOD'S PEACE AT THE END OF THE ROAD?

IF I NEVER KNEW SICKNESS AND NEVER FELT PAIN,
WOULD I SEARCH FOR A HAND TO HELP AND SUSTAIN?
IF I WALKED NOT WITH SORROW AND I LIVED WITHOUT LOSS,
WOULD MY SOUL SEEK SWEET SOLACE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS?

IF ALL I DESIRED WAS MINE DAY BY DAY, WOULD I KNEEL BEFORE GOD AND EARNESTLY PRAY?
I ASK MYSELF THIS AND THE ANSWER IS PLAIN;

IF MY LIFE WERE ALL PLEASURE AND I NEVER KNEW PAIN,
I'D SEEK GOD LESS OFTEN AND NEED HIM MUCH LESS,
FOR GOD'S SOUGHT MORE OFTEN IN TIMES OF DISTRESS.

AND NO ONE KNOWS GOD OR SEES HIM AS PLAIN
AS THOSE WHO HAVE MET HIM ON THE 'PATHWAY OF PAIN'.