Only a smile, yes, only a smile,
That a woman o’erburdened with grief
Expected from you; ‘twould have given relief
For her heart ached sore the while:
But weary and cheerless she went away,
Because as it happened that very day
You were “out of touch” with your Lord.
Only a word, yes, only a word,
That the Spirit’s small voice whispered, “Speak”;
But the worker passed onward unblessed and weak,
Whom you were meant to have stirred
To courage, devotion and love anew,
Because when the message came to you,
You were “out of touch” with your Lord.
Only a note, yes, only a note,
To a friend in a distant land;
The Spirit said “Write”; but then you had planned
Some different work and you thought
It mattered little. You did not know
‘Twould have saved a soul from sin and woe—
You were “out of touch” with your Lord.
Only a song, yes, only a song,
That the Spirit said, “Sing tonight,
Thy voice is thy Master’s by purchased right”;
But you thought: “Mid this motley throng,
I cared not to sing of the city of gold.”
And the hearts that your words might have reached grew cold:
You were “out of touch” with your Lord.
Only a day, yes, only a day,
But, oh! can you guess, my friend,
Where the influence reaches, and where it will end,
Of those hours that you frittered away?
The Master’s command is: “Abide in Me!”
And fruitless and vain will your service be
If “out of touch” with your Lord.
ML 02/14/1965