There has to be a reason for this all-consuming pain.
There must be something I have done, though I have wracked my brain.
What punishment is being dealt that I deserve this plight?
Should I accept it from God’s hand or should I stand and fight?

I’ve searched and searched my heart until my tears have poured like rain.
I’ve read until my brain was dead to find the source of pain.
There has to be an answer that is waiting just for me;
I need to find that hidden link that finally sets me free.

But then I heard the voice of God who whispered through my tears;
“I’m here to give the strength you need and help you face your fears.
For though I did not cause this pain, I feel that you should know
That I permitted it, my child, because you need to grow.

“Don’t let these precious hours of testing be a waste of time.
You have some valleys to go through and mountains still to climb.
And as I chart your progress and decide you’ve passed the test,
Then I’ll erase your pain, my child, and give you needed rest.”

Mariane Holbrook Mariane777@bellsouth.net is a retired teacher, an author of two books, a musician and artist. She lives with her husband on coastal North Carolina.