It Will Be Over After Awhile

There was—

There was an old lady. And as fate would have it, given today's economic conditions

The old lady got to the point where she couldn't pay her rent

She got behind on the rent, and the rent man came

The rent man went up on the porch, and the old raggedy screen door was shut

He could barely see through the screen for all the dust and grime

He knocked on the door, didn't hear a response, and hollered out

"Old lady?

Old lady, are you in there?"

The old lady was back in the kitchen

She could barely get around, but she called out

"Yes sir, yes sir, I'm here."

He said, "Come on out to the front, old lady, I wanna talk to you."

She made her way slowly to the front

She unlatched the screen door, and he just pulled it open and walked on in

He said

"Old lady, I guess you know what I'm here for

You're three months behind on your rent

And I've come to pick up the money today—so give me the money."

She said, "Sir, I don't have it

If I had it, I would've paid it month before last

But sir... I don't have it."

He said, "Well, old lady, you got my hands tied

Call your son, or call your husband, or get your daughter over here and get me some money

And old lady, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do—

I'm gonna give you three days to get me my rent money

And if you don't have my money in three days, old lady, I'm gonna have to put you out."

The old lady looked at him straight in the face and said

"Yes sir."

Three days passed

The old lady thought to herself and said

"The Lord took my husband last year

We was never able to have any children

And the only thing I got... is Jesus

All I got in this world is Jesus

Lord, I ain't got nowhere to go

But I guess if he comes back tomorrow, I'm going to have to get out."

So the rent man came back

Again, he knocked on the screen door

He couldn't see the old lady

He said

"Old lady, I know you in there!"

She made her way to the door

He said, "Old lady, do you have the money?"

She looked at him and said

"No sir."

He said, "Old lady... I'm sorry

But I'm gonna have to put you out."

She looked up at him and said

"Yes sir."

She slowly went into her bedroom, looked into her closet, and got all her clothes

She threw them over her shoulders

She went to the corner of the bedroom and picked up her cane

The rent man was still standing at the door

Then she walked to the door and didn't say, "Pardon me."

She just moved around him... and walked out the door

But as she made it down step number one

She made it down step number two

She got down to the sidewalk

She looked back on that house

She thought about the years

She thought about the years

And I can imagine that old lady, as she looked back, she said

"It will all be over."

"After a while, it will all be over. After a while."

"One of these old days—

I'm gonna cry, I'm gonna cry, 'cause God gave me a cry!"

Oh, I know that it will all, it will all be over after a while

The old lady walked down the street

She ran into her neighbor

And the neighbor said, "Old lady, you look like you've been put out."

She said, "That's all right

There'll be no more—disappointment

After a while."

"There'll be no more—disappointment

After a while, after a while, after a while

Won't you see?

I'm gonna lay down, sit down, sit down my cross

Because my Master Jesus—yes, He did, I know that He did—

He promised me..."

A crown

I don't know about you, but I know that I know, that I know, that I know—

It will all be over

After a while

The lady went down to the bus stop and just sat down, alone on that street

And somebody walked up to the old lady and said

"Old lady, you look like you've had it

Old lady, you look tired."

And the old lady looked at him and said

"Oh sir, let me tell you something—

I'm going to rest from all of my labor

After a while

I'm so tired... I'm going to rest from all my labor

I'm going to lay down my cross... to... wo... it... go... go—

Lord, won't You give me a crown?"

"I know it will all be over

After a while

So many folks mistreat me

But I know it's going to be over."

"I'm gonna lay down my cross

He promised me—yes, He promised me—a crown

I know it, I know it will all be over

After a while, Lord Jesus

It will all be over

After a while."

The Bible says, "Blessed is he that mourns."

Yeah... after a while, I'm gonna lay down my cross

God's gonna give me a crown

I know it will all be over

I'm gonna rest from all my burdens down here

There's something about joy and happiness—over there is glory

I'm gonna be with my Jesus

I don't have to worry about the future

Yeah, I'm going to live with the Lord

Yeah, I'm going to live by sweet Jesus

It's gonna be over... after a while