Not a question, just wanted to share something that has helped me in the hopes that it might help you.

I am writing to share something that is very important to me about my father and his slightly younger brother, my Uncle Bub, a very simple and beautiful guy. Bub liked writing, but he gave away everything he wrote. He did not care for material things. Dad often spoke, with some pride, that Bub could have put everything he owned in one suitcase. That when he bought a new pair of shoes, he left the old shoes in the store.

In 1941 my father had just married my mother, they had graduated from the University of Georgia. Bub was a junior. They were living a peaceful existence in Athens, Georgia. One cold fall day, their world was torn apart. December 7th Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, destroying most of our Pacific fleet, three days later Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.

Dad's last memory of Bub was when he put him on a train for Sebring Florida Air Force Base, all his possessions in that one small suitcase. Dad went into the Navy at Savannah Georgia, then on to the South Pacific.

A year later a few days before Christmas the transport plane carrying Uncle Bub and 79 others was attempting a landing in a heavy fog. The tower had warned off the pilot. His last words were, "This is war and we've got to take chances." Bub was dead at the age of 20.

Dad was unable to get leave to return for the funeral. He went into deep depression about how could this happen! How could someone so young, innocent and guiltless be taken away in such a stupid, pointless way? Dad almost lost faith in God for permitting this to happen.

The mail was slow in those days, about a month later Dad got a letter from Bub. A letter that seemed to be from beyond the grave, a letter that Bub mailed shortly before his death. All that letter contained was the enclosed poem.

Dad carried it throughout the war. Whenever he felt afraid. Whenever he wondered if he would return to Savannah and find the city had been attacked, everyone including my mother and me killed. Whenever he felt the mortal fear of death stalking his ship. Dad read this poem:

The Answer

I clenched my fist and shook it
At the clear blue sky above,
"Where are you God?" I shouted,
And where's your wondrous love?"

"How can you be so heartless
With your children here below?
How can you let this war rage on
And weak ones suffer so?

My anger mounted fiercely 'til
My voice would come no more;
And wearily I crumpled to
The earth's soft grassy floor

Then presently I heard a voice
A still, small voice quite near;
It called my name and whispered
Reassurance in my ear.

"Have faith my son and trust me,
In this thy darkest hour;
My love for you is greater far
Than any evil power.

"My love for man is infinite
And when I gave him birth,
I let him have dominion
Over everything on earth.

"He wields my mighty power
And my substance as he will;
He falters, falls and rises
Growing stronger ever still.

"Oh how I yearn to hold him up
When ere I see him fall;
And yet I can not take away
My greatest gift of all.

"For I gave to Man the right to will
To choose the way he'll go;
I can not interpose my love
Unless he wills it so.

"'Tis through his will and only thus
That I may end all strife;
But all who will may have my peace,
My strength, My love, My life.

"The time is near when all the world
Will see the light my son;
For everywhere on earth I hear
The prayer, 'Thy Will be done'."

With this the Father's voice was gone,
And yet I felt him near;
No longer was I filled with doubt-
The Answer now was clear.

I raised my head from where I lay
And whispered, "Lord, I see.
Forgive me for my unbelief,
Henceforth I'll trust in thee."

"Bub" Marsh - December 23, 1942