Fret Not O'er Evil

Fret not o'er evil, nor envy wrong;
for like the mown grass soon they'll be gone.
Trust in the Lord and do good always;
dwell in His pastures safe for all days.

Delight in your God, dwell in His Word;
He'll give delights then more than you heard.
Commit your way to this sov'reign God;
trust Him completely—in Him be awed!

   He will make your righteousness shine,
   shine like the dawn with increasing brightness,
   your cause like the noon day sun,
   your justice and your righteousness.

Be still before Him, wait patiently;
fret not when others prosper so free.
Be still before Him, wait for His time;
refrain from anger, be meek and kind.

   He will make your righteousness shine,
   shine like the dawn with increasing brightness,
   your cause like the noon day sun,
   your justice and your righteousness.

Fret not o'er evil, nor envy wrong;
for like the mown grass soon they'll be gone.
Trust in the Lord and do good always;
dwell in His pastures safe for all days.

- D. Benning


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Who Will Speak For These

Yes, nature has her fans who ably speak
    And forcef'lly argue to protect her lands,
    Her meadows, valleys, trees, and seas antique,
    Each bird or creature whether small or grand—
    Have all a voice to shield, to keep, to stand
    With purposed heart and will resolved to please
    As guardians of these lesser things yet grand—
    But who upon this earth will speak for these,
Most innocent and helpless, slumbering at ease.

That trees should be protected is not wrong,
    Nor wrong to dare to champion hill and dell;
    The flower and the bee, the bird with song
    Should all be tended and protected well.
    And how much more the tend'rest here that dwell!
    Their Master looks on each as precious gem,
    A marv'lous fashioning of His grace as well;
    Should not you speak and rise to shelter them?
Or nothing then His wrath against you e'er could stem.

Some are a Lorax who speaks for the trees.
    Some are a Carson who writes about Spring.
    But why should championing children bring unease?
    These precious little ones in mothers cling
    And grow and thrive and kick—and everything
    That's good and pure and innocent and mild
    Then nurtures him within a warm womb-sling.
    His dreams are unmolested, pure, unriled.
But who is this that comes against this growing child?

Despise these not, these little ones so small,
    For God in heaven sets His face toward such.
    Their angels see His face and on Him call.
    Though minuscule and hardly count as much,
    He forms each child within by gracious touch:
    From mind, and will, and heart, to hair and knees,
    Exquisite fingers that will write and clutch.
    Why protest then at death of birds and trees,
When you would claim a right to harm and murder these?

O! We should all be those who loudly speak,
    Who summon facts and logic in our fight
    Against all those who seek to harm the weak.
    Our Lord rebuked all those with boastful might
    Who turned the children from the Master's sight:
    "Now let the little children come to Me!"
    He came to earth to give us light midst night
    And hallowed human life by His decree—
And in a womb dawned Life and Light for you and me.

D. Benning
16-Feb-2018

See also: https://speakingofthings.blogspot.com/2018/03/death-of-unwanted-tissue.html
and: https://speakingofthings.blogspot.com/2018/02/now-we-must-speak.html

Death of the Unwanted Tissue

While my mother slept, I grew and kicked and sucked,
And I stretched in her belly and kicked my ten toes.
Six months from birth, dreaming of my life,
I woke to sharp pain and the nightmare incisions;
When I died, they sucked me out of her womb with a hose.

by David Benning,  26 Jan 2018

see also: https://speakingofthings.blogspot.com/2018/03/who-will-speak-for-these.html
and:  https://speakingofthings.blogspot.com/2018/02/now-we-must-speak.html