If Only We Had Known

 Isaac -- It was tax time in Bethlehem

We were busy as we had ever been

Naomi --Folks came from miles around

Descended on our quiet town

 Both  -- Not a single place, not a single room 

Could be found

Not even at our little crowded inn

I --They showed up at our door

Ragged, cold and poor

 N --I could see the girl, barely past her teens

Was with child and just about due

  I -- I felt bad for them, we both did

But what were we to do

There was no place to put them

There simply was no room

 Both --And we stood there, not quite willing to shut the door

Bewildered and confused

 I --Then mama said to me,

N --“What about the stable?”

I --“The stable? That dirty, smelly place”

N --“Well, it’s better than leaving them on the street”

I --I thought for a moment, “I guess you’re right

I have to agree, though it’s just a step above the street

If you ask me

N --“You kids wait here 

I’ll go fetch a blanket so at least you’ll have a bed”

 I --And I’ll put down some hay to soften the ground

It’s the least I can do so at least you can lay down

 N --And while you’re at it, clean out that trough

This mother may need it

 I --Clean out the trough, where the animal feed, it …

Then she gave me that look (Kathy give him that look)

Okay, okay, I’ll do what you ask

Together we got busy to see to our tasks

Both --Now let’s pause for a moment

For those who would judge us

I --“You should have saved a room for them”

 N --Assuming that we knew

Both --But we truly did know

We didn’t have a clue

So let us ask you friend

What would you have done,

If it was up to you?

(Sung)

If only we had known

They’d be coming to our inn

We would have done our very best

To treat them as our welcomed guest

The royal treatment, nothing less

We would have saved a room for them

If only we had seen

What the shepherds saw that night

Choirs of angels, dazzling lights

A glorious, breath taking sight

Just like some kind of wonderful heavenly dream

But we didn’t know, we could not see

We did not realize

This birth would be a Holy birth

The Blessed One, The promised King,

The Lord of life,

God’s tiny precious Son

Still we did what we could

We offered them a place

It’s wasn’t much at all

We’re both ashamed to say

But deep within our hearts

We believe, we pray

God understands

We were willing to care

And though a stable was no place for him

He truly honored us and blessed us

On that starry, magical, mid-winter night

In a manger there

O Holy Night

George Gagliardi, December, 2019

Easter 2019

Friends,

 Here is something a bit different for this Easter. I guess you could say it’s unapologetically religious because … well it is. I decided to go the route of creating a lyric that resembles some of the old gospel songs – hence the title. The reason – I felt led to write it that way. Now it’s true, for those of you who know me, that usually I’ll bend over backwards to avoid anything that sounds too churchy, lest it be dismissed as being just that. But you know, even some non-believers enjoy Hank Williams “I Saw the Light” so I figured I was on safe ground with this one. Now the music is not written yet but imagine the up beat sound of something like “I’ll Fly Away”. Anyway, hope you like it.

A New “Ole Time” Gospel Song—“I Believe It”

 We talk about resurrection

 ‘Bout comin’ back to life

 ‘Bout greetin’ a grand and glorious mornin’ 

  After a long and lonely, bitter night

  We talk about resurrection

 ‘Bout a man who was crucified

  And how God just raised him up again

  Our Savior, Jesus Christ

Chorus

And I believe it, man I believe it

Ask me why, I won’t hesitate

I believe it ‘cause of faith

I believe it, yes I believe it

I’d try and prove if I could

But even then wouldn’t do no good

Unless you truly understood

Some things are too true not to be good news

For those who need it

And we all need it

And I believe it, yes, I believe it

Bridge

I’m the first to say that to some this seems like a fairy tale

An act of wishful thinking, more or less

But I’ve seen God take a life that was dead

And turn that life around

‘Cause resurrection is what He does the best

Chorus

And I believe it, man I believe it

Ask me why, I won’t hesitate

I believe it ‘cause of faith

I believe it, yes I believe it

I’d try and prove if I could

But even then wouldn’t do no good

Unless you truly understood

Some things are too true not to be good news

For those who need it

And we all need it

And I believe it, yes, I believe it

George Gagliardi

Happy Easter, 2019