God knows--not I--the devious way
Wherein my faltering feet may tread,
Before into the light of day,
My steps from out this gloom are led,
And, since my Lord the path doth see,
What matter if 'tis hid from me?
God knows--not I--how sweet accord
Shall grow at length from out this clash
Of earthly discords which have jarred
On soul and sense; I hear the crash,
Yet feel and know that on his ear
Breaks harmony--full, deep, and clear.
God knows--not I--why, when I'd fain
Have walked in pastures green and fair,
The path he pointed me hath lain
Through rocky deserts, bleak and bare.
I blindly trust--since 'tis his will--
This way lies safety, that way ill.
He knoweth, too, despite my will
I'm weak when I should be most strong.
And after earnest wrestling still
I see the right yet do the wrong.
Is it that I may learn at length
Not mine, but his, the saving strength?
His perfect plan I may not grasp,
Yet I can trust Love Infinite,
And with my feeble fingers clasp
The hand which leads me into light.
My soul upon his errands goes,
The end I know not--but God knows.