The Loan

I wrote the following poem on June 13th. I don’t usually write poetry, so it was surprising to me when the words came to me that day. Little did I know, four months later, my father-in-law would be in ICU with a cancer diagnosis fighting for his life.

I’d forgotten I’d written the poem, but today as I was enjoying the serenity of the beautiful sky and sunshine, I remembered it. While our soul lives on forever, I’m reminded our time on Earth is limited. Our life is really not our own. Our family members don’t actually belong to us. Who we are and those we have in our lives are loaned to us.

Loaned by God to us.

Nothing is permanent here on Earth. It’s crucial to remember that.

Remember to be present.

Remember to be thankful.

Remember to love.

Blessings.

Your friend,

Tiffany

The Loan

Whenever you begin to judge 

your achievements as right or wrong,

Remember your life truly

to you does not belong.

Live to the fullest, 

give it your all, 

love with all your might.

But remember that each day 

is a precious gift 

and not a right.

Don’t get so caught up in 

the good, 

the bad, 

the mundane.

Remember life is but

 a blink,

 a flash, 

and then washes away like the rain.

It matters how you spend your dash-

the time, 

the money-too. 

But never, ever, ever forget…

none of it actually belongs 

to you.

It’s just on loan from your Creator 

for your time here on the Earth.

And when it is due to be paid in full,

your life loan will be up.

What will matter then is not the stuff or possessions you have attained. 

What will matter then is if your spirit 

knew the Heavenly Father’s name.

Did you ever realize all the people 

in your life were on loan to you as well?

You never really owned them, 

but did you love them well?

Did you love them with the Father’s love,

that He poured out to you?

Or did you command, 

work, and rule them 

like an owner is known to do?

Did you never, ever realize 

before it was too late, 

that you took them all for granted 

like the food upon your plate?

More precious than material things 

are the souls loaned to our care.

But when our kind master returns 

or calls us home,

what will He see here?

Will He see we treasured others 

and took care of them for Him?

Or will He see we never understood 

that they all belonged to Him?

Will He take away all He had loaned 

and say “You were so unwise.”

Or will He look at us and say

 “Thank you for lovingly caring for my prize.”

God’s children and creation 

are the prize we have been loaned.

My prayer is that 

we always see 

none of it have we ever owned.