Book of Beginnings, Story Without End…

“How beautiful is youth! how bright it gleams

With its illusions, aspirations, dreams!

Book of Beginnings, Story without End,

Each maid a heroine, and each man a friend!”

Longfellow leaves these lines on the bright look of youth and turns to some lines on the later years of life:

“By Time, the great transcriber, on his shelves,

Wherein are written the histories of ourselves.

What tragedies, what comedies, are there;

What joy and grief, what rapture and despair!

What chronicles of triumph and defeat,

Of struggle, and temptation, and retreat!

What records of regrets, and doubts, and fears!

What pages blotted, blistered by our tears!”

There are many things that come between the early and the later years of life: hopes, desires; some triumphs, some success; some happy moments we would keep forever⎯some moments we would wish were never there; some problems, some sorrows; some disappointments in ourselves, some in others; sometimes the crying out for answers; sometimes a little losing of the way⎯with the wish to see a little farther into the future⎯some searching, groping, wondering, longing, with the need to know the purpose, with the need for the assurance of some certainties.

Such assurance, blessedly, God has given, with some awareness of His purpose implanted within, some still small voice of conscience, some intimations of the answers, some lighting of the way in our choosing, our deciding, in our doing and enduring⎯with a Father who would welcome us as we improve, repent; as earnestly we endeavor to be worthy of that welcome.

“But why, you ask me, should this tale be told To men grown old, or who are growing old? It is too late! Ah, nothing is too ate Till the tired heart shall cease to palpitate . . .The unwritten only still belongs to thee: Take heed, and ponder will what that shall be.”