Matt W Cook

A wise stock broker told me just the other day
“If you wanna get cash there’s only one way.
Make yourself a diverse portfolio,
investing all over, that’s how to go.
It may sound odd, it may sound quite funny
but if you wanna make lots of money
never put all your eggs in one basket.

So I thought about this for a time and a while
then I asked him, “Why?” and he said with a smile,
“You never can know what will fail or fly.
Invest with a hundred, thirty might die
then seventy are left to give you gain
and thirty that died are just a small pain
’cause your eggs are in more than one basket.

So I again thought for a time and a while
then soon I realized, nodding with a smile,
this advice is good and it’s even true
for who can know what certain stocks may do?
“So,” I asked again, “what if you could tell
which stocks would do poor and which would do well?
Would I still need so many baskets?”

My friend didn’t pause for a moment’s reflection,
he quickly replied without hesitation,
“If you have the pow’r to see front and back
where would be plenty and where would be lack,
if betting was not a blind guess for you
and you knew what every stock would do
then you’ll put all your eggs in one basket.”

I reflected on this and thought for a moment
and thought of the old, old tale of atonement.
I remembered it in the Book I read
about him who lived though once he was dead
and how he took care of those who did trust
in his strength. Though endure for a while they must
live one in a lion’s den, one in a basket.

I smiled again when I thought of the story
how some forsook all for his love and glory
and underwent some drastic life changes
and were written in history’s pages.
Some we called fools for they all died at last
because to only one thing did they clasp
they put all their eggs in one basket.

They gave up their whole lives, their dreams and joys and pains,
they lived for their Lord in drought, famine and rains.
They cut out the sin and put on the new
just like they had been commanded to do.
Because they heard a wonderful story
that Christ would win with pleasurable glory,
so they put all their eggs in one basket.

No one has told me what is the front from the back.
I do not know of future plenty or lack.
But one thing I know, and here I hold dear,
that whatever happens, Christ will be near,
and his might will win when night turns to day
and all will prosper who walk in his way.
So I place all my eggs in his basket.