September 7, 2025. Meditation on the poem "YOUTH"by Samuel Ullman.

 

Dear Jesus,

Samuel Ullman (1840-1924) was an American businessman, poet, humanitarian, and religious leader. Today, he is best known for his poem "YOUTH," a favorite of General Douglas MacArthur. The poem hung on the wall of his office in Tokyo when he became Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Japan:

Youth is not a time of life,

IT IS A STATE of MIND.

It is not a state of rosy cheeks,

Red lips and supple knees,

It's A matter of the will,

A quality of the imagination,

A vigor of the emotions,

It is the freshness of the deep springs of life.

Nobody grows old by the mere number of years.

We grow old by deserting our ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin,

But to give up the enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart,

And turn the spirit back to dust.

Whether sixty or sixteen,

There is in every human being's heart,

The lure of wonder,

The unfailing child-like appetite of what’s next,

And the joy of the game of living.

Samuel Ullman

Dear Jesus,

When I walk with you, I experience what Samuel Ullman wrote is true.

There is no time and no space with You.

To walk and live with you, I do not count time, I do not count how old I am, because you have shown me to  keep alive the ideal of LOVE and SERVE my brothers  whenever possible.

You are the fountain of youth and You pour that youth into my soul every morning, so I can continue my journey, even though the road to the Father’s Home is treacherous.

You give me the enthusiasm to renew my soul.

You help me to dispel fear, anxiety, restlessness, and self-doubt, because You say that wherever I am, there You are.

Please help me to have a childlike heart that lives in trust like a child walking with his father, and the Father always holds my hand, showing me the way.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please let me know You, and let me know myself. Know You to listen to Your Word, and put it into practice in my daily life. Know me to change my path to Your righteous one, to have Heaven right in my heart, and You will always be with me.

Please bless all those who read this meditation in my Blog.

AMEN.