We make plans for the future
Where we will go and what we will do when we get there
Often forgetting we have a Heavenly Father
Who is always willing to show us the way
We worry so much about tomorrow
What we shall wear and what we shall eat
When all we have to do is seek God first
And He’ll provide all that we need.
We allow temptation and troubles
To darken our day
So afraid to give God the control
We won’t let Him have His way.
But God knows what lies in our hearts
Not willing for any to fall astray
For He blessed us with Christ the Savior
To guide us if we just let Him have His way
Sometimes we don’t want to listen
Instead we let our selfish desires get in the way
We tend to close our hearts to God
We often turn and run away
But God is faithful and just
He will forgive us our mistakes
Our lives would be so much better
If we learn to trust and obey
He promised never to leave us nor forsake us
If we only let God have His way.
About This Poem
I wrote this poem when I was in university. I was about 23 or 24 years old and I was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in management.
One weekend the university was hosting a literary event in which well-known authors and publishers held seminars to promote new books and to talk about how to get a book published.
There were also book sales and poetry readings. I attended the poetry reading and enjoyed listening to some popular Caribbean poets read their poems on stage.
Then the audience was invited to go up on the stage to read their poetry. I was very excited and nervous because I brought along my book of poetry in the hope that I would be able to read one of my poems.
But I had a problem. I hated standing in front of a large group of people to read or make a speech. I was scared and the thought of standing up on stage in front of an audience was frightening. My heart was beating so hard and fast that I thought it would burst through my chest!
But I was determined to do it. I needed to do it to step out of my comfort zone and to overcome my stage fright.
So I took a deep breath and walked nervously down the aisle and walked up three steps to get on the stage. I gripped my poetry book so tight so that the audience could not see my hands shaking. Unfortunately, they still saw my body trembling.
I was nervous but I stood up straight, opened my book and started to read the poem “God’s Way”. Occasionally, I looked up and glanced at the audience, but I was so afraid that I would lose my place on the page that I quickly turned my eyes away from the audience and back into my book.
Although my voice sounded a little hoarse and my throat was dry, I tried my best to be upbeat when I read my poem.
When I finally reached the end of my poem I was so relieved. The audience clapped politely as I walked off the stage. Some people liked my poem and some did not, but I did not care. I felt proud of myself for overcoming my stage fright.
I was scared, but I did not give in to fear. I was nervous, but I did not give up. I was glad that I took the opportunity to go up on stage to read my poem. It was a nerve-wracking experience but I would do it again to help me get accustomed to speaking in front of people.
