Canandaigua Lake at Woodville, Ontario County, New York
CANANDAIGUA LAKE II
As your charms I recall
With a halo o’ver all,
This one question rises,
“Are you of God’s prizes?”
Will your charms’s fond reach
Assist me to preach?
Will your beauties mild sway,
Enable to pray?
Will your long winding shore
Make me love God the more?
Will your glories at night,
Turn my heart to the right?
Is the great God of fish,
All that mortals can wish?
Can your beauties man teach?
Man for God can you reach?
Is our pleasure our aim?
Was for this that we came?
Peace with God can you give?
Or bid mountains to live?
God’s scroll is unfurled,
“You must love not the world,”
The reply back is hurled,
“Nor the things of the world.”
So your beauties today,
That are passing away,
As a means I may use,
In my work I may fuse.
I must give all my love
To the one God above;
I must serve while I may,
I must serve while ‘tis day.
I must leave you alone
On your cold bed of stone,
I must linger no more
By your whispering shore.
I must leave the gay throng
On your shore spread along;
To the work on the hill
God is calling me still.
I’m a pilgrim while here,
And to me nought is dear
Not the fairest of views,
I must bid all adieus.
I must live for Christ’s sake,
And not for my lake;
So I’ll press along still
To my work on the hill.
Photo Above: Source – Personal postcard collection of B.J. Johanningmeier