HIS HOMETOWN/my hometown

HIS HOMETOWN/my hometown




I am sure almost
EVERY Christian knows
That Jesus was BORN
In a stable
In Bethlehem


And he grew up
In a place called Nazareth


“Having been warned
In a dream
He withdrew
To the District of Galilee
And he went and lived
In a town called Nazareth


So was fulfilled
What was said
Through the prophets:


'HE will be called
A Nazarene'” Matthew 2:22-23


And as Jesus grew and
Came into his public service
He could perform
No or very little miracles there


Because they
Did not have the faith
THAT OTHERS who met Jesus
Had in him


Jesus' hometown of Nazareth
REJECTED him


“IS not this the carpenter
The son of Mary
The brother of James and Joses
And of Juda and Simon


And are not
His sisters with us
And they were offended at him”


“But Jesus said to them,
'A prophet is not without honor
But in his own country
And among his own kin
And in his own house'


And he could do
No mighty work
Except lay his hands
On a few sick folk
And heal them


And He(Jesus) marvelled
Because of their unbelief
And he went round about
The villages teaching” Mark 3:3-6


Of course Jesus
Was God
And he PROVED it
Through HIS Resurrection


I want to give thanks
TO GOD AND JESUS
For answering my deathbed prayer:


“To LIVE for my family, my friends
And ALL people everywhere”


God has SUSTAINED me with life
In and through what has looked
Like many hopeless situations


And I want to
FORMALLY RECOGNIZE
My hometown and ALL the people
Connected to it
For ALL the help and encouragement
They have given me
Over the years


BEGINNING with my parents
Who NEVER doubted me
And my sister Terri
Who has HELPED support me financially
Over the years
Since my parents died


My sister Mary
And her four beautiful daughters
WHOM I dearly love


And I want to thank
ALL my family and friends
Who have CONTINUED to HELP me
And encourage me
IN doing “GOD'S WORK”
Over the years


So I THANK
My hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa.
And ALL the people CONNECTED with it
For having NEVER FORGOTTEN ME


You KNOW who you are
And what you have done
FOR ME
(and I KNOW too)


INDEED you are
SOMEPLACE SPECIAL


And I gratefully ACKNOWLEDGE
My new friends and neighbors
In Florida
For having ACCEPTED me
And ALL you have done for me
(NOT so new anymore)




And I will continue
“TO LIVE
For my family-my friends
And ALL people everywhere”


For as long
As God gives me
THE GRACE-THE LIFE-
And the LOVE to do so


IN JESUS' NAME,


Robert P. Wallman
5-8-14