Marking Milestones

We all have milestone moments in our lives, moments that create their own befores and afters. You know what I mean: leaving school, moving house, marriage, the death of someone dear to us, the birth of a child or grandchild.

The most significant milestone in my life was the day I became a Christian when I was 16 years old. Every day of the nearly 50 years since then has been lived in its afterglow. That doesn’t mean that life has been a bed of roses; far from it. But through hard challenges and more comfortable times God has kept his promise to be with me. He is faithful.

Now I am becoming more aware of the early light of a new dawn, the dawn of that wonderful day when Jesus will call me home or come in glory. I tried to catch something of that in this poem that was written as a birthday gift for a dear friend.

Marking a milestone

The time has come to mark a milestone,

to take note of miles travelled,

looking back over cloudy days

and finding they no longer cast long shadows,

remembering sunny days too,

stopping to feel their warmth

still beating on your back.

The stone has an engraving

of miles still to be travelled

but the sun shines too brightly

to read it.

The time has come to face the sun full on,

casting your shadow on the past

and not the future.

You will know when you reach home

for God’s Son will be the sun

and the warmth will be his warmth

of welcome.

…………………………………