How a Poem Changed My Life

By Michael Vorhees

The following poem helped changed my life:

As I stumble through this life

Help me to create more laughter than tears,

Dispense more happiness than gloom,

Spread more cheer than despair.

Never let me become so indifferent,

That I will fail to see the wonder

In the eyes of a child or

The twinkle in the eyes of the aged.

Never let me forget that my total effort

 Is to cheer people, make them happy,

And forget at least momentarily,

All the unpleasantness in their lives.

And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper:

“When you made My people smile,

You made Me smile.”

I got a copy of this poem from Bob at Helping Hands Ministry. He gave me the poem, and told me to read it.  He gave me his phone number and told me to keep it on my refrigerator, and use it to call him FIRST if I was thinking about using. He said that if I turned my life over to the care of God, worked the Program and didn’t use drugs or alcohol, things would be better in my life. God’s Will, not Mike’s will. He was right!

I listened to what the man told me. I changed. I got sober and went to AA meetings. I got a place to live. I did, and still do, odd jobs I tried to help other people by going out on Wednesdays, with the St. Paschal’s Helping Hands Ministry, to feed the homeless people.

I figured that if I went out and helped homeless people, and they saw how I’d turned my life around, they might want to change their life around for the better. I don’t talk down to, or about people because I’ve been there. Now I sell the Street Chronicle, talk to people, homeless or not, and try to encourage them to change their lives for the better. And there is a better way to life. I know, because I’m living proof!

Copyright Cleveland Street Chronicle September 2016 Issue 23.3 Cleveland, Ohio.