The Poison of Pain
I bear a wound that will not heal,
A pain that gnaws my heart and mind;
Inflicted by a cruel one's zeal,
Who left me broken and maligned.
I cling to it as if a shield,
A safeguard from the world unkind;
But in my soul a poison breeds,
That sours all my thoughts and deeds.
Oh, how it festers and it grows,
And fills me with a bitter hate;
It blinds me to the good that flows,
And makes me scorn my own sad fate.
It twists and turns me to a foe,
Of all who love me and relate;
It makes me spurn the grace that's given,
And shuns me from the light of heaven.
But lo! A voice that calls to me,
From yonder cross where mercy bled;
It speaks of pardon, peace, and free,
And bids me lay down my pain and dread.
It tells me of a love so deep,
That bore the pain I should have shed;
It asks me to forgive the wrong,
And join the chorus of the song.
Oh, what a struggle in my breast,
To yield my pain and let it go;
But as I do, I feel a rest,
A healing balm that soothes my woe.
I see the one who hurt me blessed,
And wish him well as I forgo;
I feel a joy that fills my soul,
And at last I am made whole.
And I see that forgiveness is not just given
Just for the sake of the one who offends
It’s given to ease the bitterness
And bring a wounded heart to mend