Fire and Light

By T.D. Garten

Fire and Light is a collection of faith-based poetry about the sorrows, lessons, and choices that we face during this journey we call life. It is about surviving and even rising above these struggles. These poems will take you on a journey of suffering and healing, failure and forgiveness, brokenness and restoration. They are about our lives, our loves, and our choices. You may cry. You may smile. In the end, if they made you look more closely at God and your relationship to Him, they have fulfilled their purpose. These poems are born from the author's own life experiences. They are personal, heartfelt, and relatable. If you have lost a loved one, witnessed suffering, stumbled, or questioned your faith, you will be able to see yourself on some of the pages within this book. These poems are meant to invoke thought, encourage prayer, provide some insight, and hopefully, promote some healing to those in pain. Remember, you may find yourself in a dark tunnel or amid a raging storm, but you can survive, and you can thrive. But you can't do it alone. As you read, open your heart so you may see God's saving grace, His love, and His ability to show us the light that's at the end of every tunnel and to lead us to calm waters that lie just beyond the fearsome waves. All we have to do is trust and follow Him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642585759

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Fire and Light

T.D. Garten

ISBN 978-1-64258-574-2 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64258-575-9 (Digital)

Copyright © 2018 by T.D. Garten

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

We all have days in our lives that we will always remember for these were the days that changed our lives in a profound way. One of those days for me was November 6, 2014. That was the day that our son, Tony, died.

He was only thirty-one at the time of his passing. His years were short but full of suffering.

I wrote Tony’s Letter in his memory. It is what I imagine he would have said if he had spoken to us when he reached heaven that day.

Tony’s Letter

On earth no voice did I have

No words could I speak

No song could I sing

In heaven, my voice is restored

And on the name of Jesus did I first call

So don’t weep for me because I’m gone

Don’t weep for me at all

On earth my body, weak and frail

Pain, my often companion

In heaven, no sorrow anymore for me

With Jesus, nothing is lost, all is gain

Don’t weep for me because I’m gone

Filled with so much joy, forgotten is my pain

On earth, no embrace could I make

With sister and brother I could not run, I could not play

But in heaven, each day is light and peace

Spent with angels and saints on every side

No darkness here abides

Awaiting my loved ones to join me someday

So don’t weep for me because I’m gone

In memory of me, run and laugh and play

On earth, my hands were twisted

My body grew weaker with each passing day

On earth, my legs could not hold me up

In heaven, praise God, gravity cannot hold me down

So don’t weep for me because I’m gone

I’ve taken flight, and my laughter echoes all around

On earth, my body was my prison

My limbs shackled throughout my life

Tortured and kept silent by my mind

Now the prison bars are flung open

My shackles have fallen away

So don’t weep for me because I’m gone

For I have finally made it home

Part One: The Loss

We will all suffer loss during our lifetime. It is an inevitable, horrible part of life and a necessary one. But with loss also comes healing, though not quickly and not easily. Through the process of healing, we hate, we love, we lash out, and we hold on for dear life. We grow, we learn, and with God’s guiding hand, we find joy and peace and hope.

If loss has any purpose at all, it teaches us the true value of life, of loved ones, and of each and every moment.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4).

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Revelation 21:4).

I did not have the privilege of giving birth to Tony, but I helped raise him and care for him. He won my heart and still holds it even though he is not with me any longer. Though I was not there when he took his first breath, I was allowed to be with him as he took his last.

Your Last Breath

From another’s womb you came

I was not given that precious memory

To bring you into this world

Was not my blessing, was not my joy

But into my life you came one day

And forever stole my heart away

A precious child, unknown to me till then

Became my son, my light, my heart

No mother ever loved you more

Of that I can assure

As I watched you grow

My heart swelled and longed for you to know

No mother ever loved you so

Blessed not was I to share your first breath

Chosen was I instead to share that final one you took

Not a choice any mother would make

Had any choice been given

To spare your life, my life I would let Him take

Though not my choice

A blessing it was

For if your life had to end so soon, my son

Nothing more precious to my heart

Than the time spent those final days