She came at a moment,
     just stepped out in time.
We all had each other,
     but barely a dime.
From the beginning,
     she was daddy’s girl.
With a smile so big,
     any heart would unfurl.

I owe her my life,
     and oh, so much more.
She gave me purpose,
     which had gone out the door.
In the midst of great sickness
     I learned to press on.
There are so many walks
     on which we have gone.

Some say she’s different,
     I suppose that is so.
For she’s filled with joy,
     more than anyone I know!
She’s an angel from heaven —
     at least in a way.
With a message from God
     that she shares every day.

She longs for heaven
     and it’s really not odd.
She teaches me much
     about talking with God.
If you should wonder,
     what her joy is about.
God’s presence is with her,
     of that there’s no doubt.

The labels are plenty
     to describe what she’s got.
But to describe her,
     those labels do not!
CP and autism,
     with seizures not few.
May be what she has,
     but they don’t define who.

A child of the King,
     a joy to mankind.
A sweeter person,
     you never will find.
There’s no fake about her,
     no motives to hide.
What you see on her face
     is what is inside.

Throughout the years,
     we have been told.
Prepare for the worst,
     she won’t get this old.
Perhaps a few weeks,
     even years may be seen.
But it’s not very likely
     to go beyond teen.

And so here we are,
     at twenty-six years old!
A gift straight from God
     that’s still ours to hold!
I don’t take it for granted,
     I thank God every day.
That He loved us so much
     to send Susan our way.

She’s not really ours,
     she is simply on loan.
And it’s a great privilege
     to give her a home.
How long she will be here,
     I really don’t know.
She longs for heaven
     and is ready to go.

As I sit in a hotel
     on this, her birthday.
Alone in a room
     many miles away.
I wake up early
     to spend time in prayer.
And God gives me this poem
     that I now share.

© 2015 by Tom Lemler

We celebrated Susan’s birthday Sunday as I was headed out Monday morning for the North American Christian Convention. As I woke up early this morning and was spending time with God, He put this poem in my mind about Susan. I pray that she has a great day and continues to be a joy and blessing to others as she is to MJ and I.

In prayer,
Tom