This came to me a week or so ago, and it is a rather thought-provoking poem that elicited some inner searching deeper than that which is my norm. But, I must confess that I am very pleased with its outcome and frankly I’m rather proud of it.. I do hope that all of you will give it your attention, your insight and your opinion should you so choose to do so!
Please enjoy it and perhaps ask yourselves these questions,
Jake.
Is this really the solution to life’s questions?
Questions Of Personal Nature
As we approach each of our life’s crossroads
do we really ponder which is the path to choose
or is it merely by our own natural instinct
or simply by heads or tails, win or lose?
Is the course of our life predetermined
or do we indeed have the gift of free choice
is the conscience an offshoot of a spiritual soul
or just the echo of some instructional voice?
Does one’s life truly have special meaning
when we’re the victim of an others foul deed
or if by our own hand the end comes to us
as depression is the hunger we must feed?
I have no answer to the questions I’ve raised
nor would I, or could I, debate
for these solutions escape my inadequate mind
so I guess I’ll just deal with my fate!
***
Jack Downing
Feb. 2016
Copyright© Jack Downing, aka Jake @poemsandponderings.wordpress.com. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or disseminated in any manner without the expressed, written consent of the author. JRD 2/24/16
poemsandponderings 
Questions all worthy of debate! I am not always sure where the crossroads are, and don’t always have time to make a conscious choice but when faced with cancer year before last I did make a conscious choice. That was simply to put everything in God’s hands and to follow where He led. It was the most peaceful time of my life and sometimes I wish my whole life could be filled that way. God bless you my friend and I know you really weren’t looking for an answer but I felt the need to share that!
Thanks Loopy. I’m sending you an e-mail, rather than responding here in depth to your comment.
Patricia I didn’t want to respond on my blog to your comment because I am also now facing the same situation that you faced the year before last. I too have the faith that He will guide me through this and I also have so many people praying for me and a support group that is without equal. What I have is considered to be the most favorable type and least likely to spread. Though recently I went through surgery to remove the tumor, but due to its location they decided that it was best to discontinue that effort and I’m back to square one with other less invasive treatments starting next week. I know I can count on you to join the “multitudes” of the faithful who are praying for me and my family. God Bless you and keep you.
Thanks again,
Jake. PS, that poem I wrote and published last month (“Oh, Lord I Pray”) was right after I found out the news.
On Wed, Feb 24, 2016 at 5:46 PM, poemsandponderings wrote:
>
Oops I guess I wasn’t as secretive as I thought I was going to be.
You are definitely in my prayers my friend, there is nothing better than prayers! I will ask God for the same thing I asked for myself, to take control and lead you where you need to go, to keep you in His arms and ease any fear. To allow His peace to wash over you. To give your family the strength they need and ease there fear as well! God bless you my friend and you have my email address, please send me one if you feel comfortable doing so and if there is some way I can help, please let me know! There are great prayer warriors out here! Love you!
I was fortunate to have a DR that chose not to do surgery, that would have been a major change, meaning having a colostomy bag the rest of my life. He recommended chemotherapy and radiation, which was not easy, 32 radiation Tx,. But it worked and I am still cancer free! Having support is the best! What helped me a lot was tuning as much of the stress of the world out and immersing myself into the recordings of the Psalms! There was just a peace that allowed me to let God lead!
Thank you loopy, what I thought was your e-mail address was just the link to our blogs and therefore when I told you my situation it ended up here in my remarks column.. Oh well, thank goodness I don’t have that many followers that the whole world is going to know what is going on. But, my dear and true ones (like yourself) will now be in the loop(y) so to speak. lol I’m so happy that you are well and progressing through and beyond what was a trying and stressful ordeal.. Keep well and safe my friend.
God Bless you,
Jake.
That is my email address Jake, if you send me an email from your email provider it’s private, if you send it from WordPress they add it to your comment!
I’m in the boat too. I think the Lupron shots are keeping prostate cancer at bay. Regards…
I could not be happier for you Carl and Thank God for good doctors, and as much as we hate to say it, thank God for the Pharmaceutical companies who are still gouging the American public, although I am becoming more and more convinced that it is the retail pharmacies who are more to blame for the gouging than the manufactures (see below) otherwise there would be no Lupron shots, chemo, radiation, and so on and so on for old buzzards like us..
To my point of the pharmacy vs. the manufacturer: Due to my condition I have recently been prescribed SPIRIVA which at my local Walmart pharmacy costs me $40.00 (with my excellent health plan) while my wife (same health plan) who is also on SPIRIVA pays at her pharmacy (Walgreen’s) a prohibitive $80.00 for the same dosage same everything, and furthermore my Brother-in-law who is on Mass.Health (State sponsored health plan) pays $3.45 all for the EXACT SAME MEDICATION. . My wife won’t switch to Walmart because it is out of her way.. (Go figure)
Very good, Jack! Miss you
Thanks Mary, well you know i’m thinking of you from all of the e-mails I send you, like them or not..lol
OK, this was meant to be, this public revealing of your health issues. Why? Because now more, like me, are praying for you. You have widened your circle of support.
God bless and keep you, Jake, and bestow upon you His peace. Hold onto hope and Him.
Audrey, I am truly grateful for your prayers and your support. God has always blessed me regardless of my mostly lackadaisical Christian endeavor, but whenever I have been in need He has never forgotten nor forsaken me and because of that I know I have a strong “spiritual” connection with Him. (And then there’s my Guardian Angel who will deserve a promotion after what I’ve put him/her through.) Thank you again so much, you are a warm and caring person whom I have the distinct pleasure of knowing, if only through cyber-space, God bless you and yours always.
Jake.
Thank you, Jake. You have an incredibly strong faith that shines. Truly shines. Like you, I am thankful to God for always being there for me, through trials and joys. I delight in being your cyberspace friend and am honored to pray for you.
The honor is all mine Audrey I have met so many really great people on the internet and you are on top of the short list. You blog keeps us In touch with what America was, still is in the Midwest and thankfully in those areas where God is still welcomed. God Bless.
Thank you, Jake.