When I was young, I went where I would
As far as I dared, and as long as I could
From morning till night without slowing down
I played and I played around and around
I rarely got tired, I had so much strength
To have a good time I would go to great length
I jumped over fences and walked on high roofs
When mom called, “Come down!” I ignored her reproof
And as I got older, my antics grew bolder
My mom didn’t know, for I never told her
Of places I’d go to and things I would do
Of scraps I got into and flames I went through
And in all of my going around and about
I got on a wheel that was fun without doubt
A wheel that made merry, a wheel of delight
That spun me around and that dizzied my sight
But once in awhile I awoke filled with dread
With a sharp, sudden thought that would not leave my head
“You are spinning too wildly on this wheel that you crave
If you don’t get off now you will spin to your grave.”
But my urge to spin more overcame common sense
I wanted no limits, I wanted no fence
I kept up my spinning as fast as I could
I did what I felt like, and not what I should
Someday I’d stop spinning, settle down when I’m old
Leave my wheel far behind and have tales to be told
But for now all my fun was wrapped up in this thing
Without daily spinning, what could each day bring?
Until the day came when I heard a fresh voice,
A voice of concern which gave me a dread choice:
“The time it has come, there will be no delay
If you don’t get off now, you won’t see a new day.”
At that moment I knew I had tempted too long
I had gone many places where I did not belong
Always higher and faster and further I went
Now I wanted to stop, but it would not relent
The wheel I was on seemed to laugh at my plight
The faster it spun, I could no longer fight
The whirl that I felt was both inside and out
The wheels wouldn’t stop, I was doomed without doubt
When all hope to get off began fading from view
From above stretched a hand from a Man strong and true
Could His power be greater than this spinning about
Could He somehow pull me, clear up and straight out
The hand of a stranger, this was, it is true
But as scared as I was, what else could I do?
So I reached out my hand to the hand up above
And suddenly, surely I landed in Love
Amazed that another would care so for me
I learned that for sinners He died on a tree
To save and to rescue those out of control
To stop racing wheels and to quiet the soul
But though off the wheel He had snatched me indeed
From the spinning within I still cried out in need
And that too His hand on my soul did subdue
As I learned that real fun is in all He would do.
And rather than spinning and going nowhere
He laid a straight path to a place that was fair
The hand that had rescued was now firm in mine
I was ready with Him to go far and to climb
There were places to go to and people to see
But Jesus was with me and now I was free
Free to accomplish not just what I would
Free and delighted to do what I should
And now I am young once again in my heart
For God in His goodness gave me a new start
From morning till night, I am still on the run
But God runs beside me, His race is my fun.