There’s always someone to rain on your parade
Nose in the air, gleeful shaking of the head,
“That’ll never work!”
with every setback, crocodile sympathy
and a million I-told-you-so’s
It’s a fight to stand up and be counted
to do what is right, no matter what
and you fight. That’s what you do.

There are always others trying to get ahead
Pushing, shoving, tripping
Footprints on your back where they’ve run right over you
Don’t know what they’re racing for, where they’re going
but you run a different race
pacing yourself to the end of this marathon
You know every finisher is a winner
And you finish. That’s who you are.

They’ll rip down what’s in you if they can
poke holes, tear strips, rend you limb from limb
“There is no faith, there is no God!” they cry
“Are you mad? What’s wrong with you?”
But you hold on, you know what’s what
The truth is right there for you
You take this faith that’s given from on high
and keep it. That’s how you live.
‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’
I read these words on your tombstone,
and know the truth of them.
A fitting epitaph for a life well lived.