"Oh! To Be Ready"! Everyone Wants To Go To Heaven? But No One Wants To Die! My Prayer for You is, That You Will Long To Be Ready! A Point to Ponder . . .

Do you long to be ready to go home to Heaven? If not why not? Is a temporal life in this world for a few years worth the eternal loss of your immortal soul?

Oh! To Be Ready

I often (the author of the web page employed) comb through old anthologies of poems looking for works I have never read before. I recently found one titled “Oh! To Be Ready” that was attributed to an anonymous poet. I appreciate its longing to be ready to hasten home.

Oh! to be ready when death shall come! Oh! to be ready to hasten home! No earthward clinging, no lingering gaze, No strife at parting, no sore amaze, No chains to sever what earth has twined, No spell to loosen what love would bind. No flitting shadows to dim the light Of the angel-pinions winged for flight, No cloud-like phantoms to fling a gloom ‘Twixt Heaven’s bright portals and earth’s dark tomb; But sweetly, gently, to pass away From the world’s dim twilight into day. To list the music of angel lyres, To catch the rapture of seraph tires, To lean in trust on the risen One, Until borne away to a fadeless throne. Oh! to be ready when death shall come! Oh! to be ready to hasten home!

(The word “tires” is an antiquated form of “attire,” I believe.)

Adapted from https://www.challies.com/articles/works-wonders-april-19/ by webmaster

Dr. Roger D Duke.