The Wish Wand
The dangers of wishing instead of knowing about your eternal destiny are real. In this poem I tried to imagine what would happen to me if I died and faced God with only wishes and had not asked Him to forgive my sins for Christ’s sake, and take me to heaven.
I had a little wish wand and waved it to and fro
Whenever thoughts turned heavenward
Or the other place you go.
I thought it safe to trust it
With my whole eternal soul,
So I wished the life I’d lived on earth
Would get me to my goal.
I wished that all would get to heaven
Whatever they believed,
That Buddha sat at God’s right hand,
That New Age be received.
I wished that Paul would change his mind,
That Jesus wasn’t right
Because he spoke of lostness and a
Dark eternal night;
About the way to heaven
One truth, one narrow gate, and
I was so broadminded that I wished away my fate!
So I waved my little wish wand
In the patient face of Him
Who met me at the gate of heaven and wouldn’t let me in.
I wrote to heaven’s congressman,
But he courteously replied that I should have
Left my wish wand at the feet of Him who died!
For wishes could not wish away a lifetime of rejection,
And wishes could not dress my soul
In heaven’s own perfection.
And wishes could not save me now for hell was so obscene,
That wishes there die ghastly deaths,
Strangled with a scream.
But I took my little wish wand
Into hell the day I died,
And I waved it at the serpent as he
Slithered to my side.
It was dark but I could see him
And all I knew was fear,
And no matter how I waved my wand
He wouldn’t disappear!
Oh I wish that I had wished aright;
I wished I lived again.
I wished I had a body that
Was whole, not racked with pain.
I wished I could remember
Something other than the dirt.
I wish I could forget my sin.
How every memory hurt!
Oh, I wished and wished and wished
That I could have another chance
To cast upon the crucified
A saving, helpless glance.
But the devil took my wish wand
And he laughed right in my face
And I went to live eternally in
Darkness and disgrace.
I never wished a wish again
I had no heart to try,
For hell is where hope ended,
And where all my wishes died!
Jill Briscoe, Telling the Truth
The dangers of wishing instead of knowing about your eternal destiny are real. In this poem I tried to imagine what would happen to me if I died and faced God with only wishes and had not asked Him to forgive my sins for Christ’s sake, and take me to heaven.
I had a little wish wand and waved it to and fro
Whenever thoughts turned heavenward
Or the other place you go.
I thought it safe to trust it
With my whole eternal soul,
So I wished the life I’d lived on earth
Would get me to my goal.
I wished that all would get to heaven
Whatever they believed,
That Buddha sat at God’s right hand,
That New Age be received.
I wished that Paul would change his mind,
That Jesus wasn’t right
Because he spoke of lostness and a
Dark eternal night;
About the way to heaven
One truth, one narrow gate, and
I was so broadminded that I wished away my fate!
So I waved my little wish wand
In the patient face of Him
Who met me at the gate of heaven and wouldn’t let me in.
I wrote to heaven’s congressman,
But he courteously replied that I should have
Left my wish wand at the feet of Him who died!
For wishes could not wish away a lifetime of rejection,
And wishes could not dress my soul
In heaven’s own perfection.
And wishes could not save me now for hell was so obscene,
That wishes there die ghastly deaths,
Strangled with a scream.
But I took my little wish wand
Into hell the day I died,
And I waved it at the serpent as he
Slithered to my side.
It was dark but I could see him
And all I knew was fear,
And no matter how I waved my wand
He wouldn’t disappear!
Oh I wish that I had wished aright;
I wished I lived again.
I wished I had a body that
Was whole, not racked with pain.
I wished I could remember
Something other than the dirt.
I wish I could forget my sin.
How every memory hurt!
Oh, I wished and wished and wished
That I could have another chance
To cast upon the crucified
A saving, helpless glance.
But the devil took my wish wand
And he laughed right in my face
And I went to live eternally in
Darkness and disgrace.
I never wished a wish again
I had no heart to try,
For hell is where hope ended,
And where all my wishes died!
Jill Briscoe, Telling the Truth
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