Can a Lifetime be Squeezed into Three Years?

Standing on a hilltop,
I can’t help but wonder:
Can a lifetime be squeezed
into three years?

I feel like a disciple of old today
as he stood looking upward,
wishing he could see into heaven.
I wonder how long he stood there
before it sank in: “You mean,
He’s not coming back?”
Jesus left them with one word:
“Soon,” He said.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Soon has been two thousand years
in the making.

I can understand their fear:
their teacher was leaving them.
For three years He had
taught them,
loved them,
fed them
and now…
Now what?

For three years
you have loved us,
you have taught us,
you have fed us,
and now…
Now what?

Now they must stand on their own,
as I must stand
on my own.

to Mike and Brenda, for your leadership
originally written Summer 2005