The Vision Of The Valley-Don Francisco

The vision came unbidden, at an unexpected pass Where the winds of change blew colder Whippin' snow that cut like glass But like an old man in regret For foolish sins and wasted youth The scene that lay before me Had no beauty save its truth For the wind came down the mountains Never slowing, never still And the sheep were scattered shepherdless, Alone across the hills They were prey to every beast that roamed, And entrapped by every curse And they stumbled in their sickness, In their weakness and their thirst Below them in the valley, The polluted waters flowed Where the shepherds that were hirelings Sat and argued what was owed And the ambitious and abusive bragged And they boasted on their might And their profits from the slaughter Of the ones who could not fight And the wind just kept on howling, As I cried, "Oh Lord, how long Will your people be the victims Of the ruthless, proud and strong?" And at once there came an answer In the quiet of my soul "The time has come for judgement And to make the wounded whole" "For my heart is still a shepherd's heart I know each one by name The ragged and the beautiful, The healthy and the lame And I myself will lead them out, And I'll feed them on the best In pastures by still waters In a place of peace and rest O, but woe unto the shepherds Who abuse my sheep and kill With harshness and severity You've bent them to your will And today I am against you As I take them from your hand- When the fire of judgement comes The stubble will not stand!" Then darkness filled the valley And I saw it take up form Screaming winds and fire and lightning More than any earthly storm Where it passed were no survivors For the land was cleansed and bare But the streams flowed clear and purified And the grass grew green and fair I saw a man come walking And his heart glowed like a flame All the sheep began to run to him, And he called each one by name He spoke to them in gentle words And he soothed their fearful minds And he healed the brokenhearted And the crippled, sick and blind Then many others like him, All with hearts that glowed the same That before I hadn't noticed, From the farms and fields they came They weren't famous wise or noble But they spoke a common word A word the flock could recognize And follow when they heard They led them in green pastures, By still waters in the light Standing guard against the wolves And other creatures of the night Going out into the mountains In the darkness and the cold Bringing back the lost and wounded To the safety of the fold And the news went out around the world In every street and town That something wonderful was here, That heaven had come down And millions gave their hearts in trust That long had been betrayed And the bride at last was ready, And the trumpet call was made And the news went out around the world In every street and town That something wonderful was here, That heaven had come down And millions gave their hearts in trust That long had been betrayed And the bride at last was ready, And the trumpet call was made