“Interrupted Prayer,” New Era, May 1986, 51
Interrupted Prayer
Today,
Dear Lord,
I knelt to pray for one afflicted—
But paused with words unsaid
For I (in my limited wisdom)
Had been about to ask,
As always,
That the sick one be healed;
That all suffering cease.
In short,
That all should have
a happy ending
All the time.
Oh, dear Father, instead I give thanks
That Thou, (in Thine Infinite Wisdom)
Art able to
Edit my prayers,
Lest, in my well-intentioned concern
I should shield those I love
From the very trials
They may need
To bring them
Close
To thee.