Season of Change

This book is dedicated to my sons, Shane and DeJuan; my mother, Corrie Conley; my stepfather, Timothy Conley; (in loving memory) my father, Loade Johnson Sr.; my brothers, Loade Johnson Jr., (in loving memory) Sylvester Johnson, (in loving memory) Jimmy Johnson, Donell Johnson, and Dr. Jerry Johnson; my grandchildren, Shayla Breann, Sydney Felice, Shane Timothy Jr., Braelynn; and my two beautiful daughters-in-law, Felicia and Ja'Qkia Lasenby. Since publishing Poems on Occasion in 2004, I have experienced many seasonal changes in my life. The most devastating occurrence was the breakup of my thirty-one year marriage. After being married for so many years, you don't expect to see it all come tumbling down. Longevity does not always mean forever. It is so true that going through a divorce is similar to dealing with a death. Something inside of you definitely dies. There is an emptiness that only God can fill. I am a witness that he can and he will do just that. Sometimes we don't understand why we have been given certain gifts and talents. But we must know that God has a purpose and a reason for everything that he does. It was the gift of writing poetry that he blessed me with that gave me the strength and the courage to endure this difficult period in my life. I must be perfectly honest with you, my first reaction was to be angry. I wanted to know why this was happening to me. I consistently reminded God that I had dedicated my entire life to him and that I did not deserve what was happening to me. He reminded me that Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Again, as with Poems on Occasion, it is my desire that the contents of the poems in this book, A Season of Change, will minister to whatever hurts, disappointments, and challenges you have experienced or will experience as you strive to be what God has called you to be. I thank him for using my voice to share written words that provide encouragement and hope to myself as well as to others. As an added feature, I have included stories written by my brother Dr. Jerry Johnson. These stories consist of the struggles we endured growing up as a poor family in Ecorse, Michigan, as well as the happy times we share together as a family during Christmas time. Dr. Johnson is a very talented writer, and I know you will enjoy his writings. He will be publishing a book of stories in the near future.