by Linda Troxell

(inspired by the Lord’s Prayer)

You are our God in Heaven,
Your name is holy and revered.
We long for Your kingdom to come 
Bringing an end to our pain and fears.
A world without the need for wars,
Where everyone lives by Your will.
A world where no one is hungry
And everyone gets their fill. 

We envision no one begging on corners,
We imagine no one sleeping in parks,
Or children who fear being gunned down at school 
 When once they feared only the dark.
We look forward to mamas feeding their babies
And daddies with pride in their jobs.
No more parents begging for food 
While each hears the other one sob.

We pray for the world to grow spiritually
Gaining the wisdom to understand
If we don’t live together as a family
We will die unforgiven and damned.
Someday, Lord, I hope we will see
The enormous debt You’ve forgiven us.
And maybe that day, come to realize
Unforgiveness is simply unjust.

Somehow, we must come to see
It’s our sin that keeps us apart.
And the blessings that we foreclose
By our cold, unforgiving hearts.
But until that time comes to pass, Lord,
Until we can forgive and love as you do,
We can only pray that the grace of your love
Will protect us and carry us through.

---

Linda Troxell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who lives in a small town in Southern California where she writes devotionals and poetry to post on her personal blog. For over twenty years, she worked to help men and women struggling with substance abuse and adolescent boys in group homes struggling with family difficulties. She is now retired and spends most of her time doing what she loves best, writing about the Lord, and spending time with her grandchildren.