While growing up in rural North Georgia, I knew a bit about my local area but naïvely assumed that people and places in the larger world were similar to those in my world.

But after graduating from high school, I moved from the mountains to attend college in the central portion of Georgia that had a very different landscape. Later, my husband and I traveled throughout the United States, Canada, and a few of the Caribbean islands. As we also vicariously traveled around the world through print and audiovisual media, and then the Internet, I gained a greater understanding of what the world is like. To my astonishment, it is so much larger and so much more diverse than the small area where I was born.

That process of exploration and learning reminds me of connecting-the-dots puzzles. The more dots you connect, the more recognizable the big picture becomes. In like manner, I started where I was born and moved on from the familiar "here" to one astonishing "there" after another. The people groups and places I’m continuing to learn about have been there for a long time, despite my lack of awareness. Such gradual illumination fills me with ever-increasing wonder.

Similarly, the Gospel story has been slowly, yet consistently, revealed to me. As a child, and for many years later, I knew little about the Bible, which contains the stories of the triune God and His dealings with all the diverse people living in the physical world He created, as well as how we will live in the hereafter — in the world He also has created and over which He will reign forevermore.

But through the years, I’ve been privileged to learn more of the Gospel story. For example, just recently, I listened as Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth connected even more of the dots in the Gospel story. 

 https://www.reviveourhearts.com/podcast/revive-our-hearts/the-incomparable-incarnate-christ/

Yes, there is more, so much more, to His story than the familiar stories and songs and dramatizations of the birth of Christ on which we focus on at Christmastime. Although that awesome portion of His life is an essential part of the story, it is not the true beginning of His life. He, like God the Father, has always existed and will always exist. Thus, there’s more, so much more, to the story of who He was, who He is, and who He will always be.

Since I’m eager to learn more and more about Him and believe more deeply and confidently in all that He is and does, I benefit from reading the entire Bible, which contains the larger story. As I read and reflect on various passages, including one of the apostle Paul’s prayers that’s found in the first chapter of the book of Ephesians, I receive insights to include in my prayers. For example:

I bow before You -- the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory __ and humbly ask You to give me a spirit of wisdom and of revelation that will provide true and ever-increasing knowledge of Jesus. I ask You to continue to enlighten my heart, so that I will know more and more about You and about the glorious hope and abundant riches Your boundless power and grace give to those who believe in Jesus.

I make these requests not only for myself but also for others. Enable us to know You, the triune God, more and more fully so that we might truly love You and worship You with glad and grateful hearts, always eager to share with others what we have come to know and believe about You.

Why?

I’ve often read the story* about the sudden storm that popped up one day when Jesus and His disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Although such sudden storms are fairly common on that body of water, they cause great fear as waves, some ten feet tall, batter boats and threaten lives.

Sea of Galilee.
Photo by Arvid Olson from Pixabay

Apparently, the water was calm when Jesus and His disciples set out across the lake. So, Jesus, who surely must have been tired from having dealt with the throngs of people who surrounded Him wherever He went, decided to sleep while the disciples navigated to their destination. However, when the storm raged, they cried out, “Master! Master! We’re going to drown.”

Jesus stood up. He commanded the waves and the wind to quiet down. They did. Much to the relief of the disciples (and those in nearby boats), the lake became as smooth as glass. 

Some translations use these words to state Jesus’ question: “Where is your faith?” But The Message paraphrases the question this way: “Why can’t you trust me?” (See Luke 8:25)

I couldn’t get past those words. They compelled me to stop and ponder the question that demanded an answer from me.

Like the disciples, I know I can trust Jesus. He has done great and mighty things for me--and for others. Yet, each time a new crisis appears, I forget how He has helped me in the past. I fail to realize that He is still with me, still able to do far more than I can imagine, still willing to come to my aid. Thus, I struggle to answer the probing question Jesus asked, “Why can’t you trust me?” (See Luke 8:25)

Am I unable to trust Him or am I choosing not to?

After all, as the song Evidence points out, there is much proof that He is worthy of my trust and has, in fact, proven that again and again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lDvD-O9xhg

* Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25

What If…?

 

Jesus said unto him [a Pharisee], Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Matthew 22:37-38, KJV).

 

Bittersweet

 Mother's Day is bittersweet for me. How is it for you?

I'm missing my own precious mother, who departed this life eleven years ago. I'm missing my sweet mother-in-law, who was like a mother to me. She left us on Mother's Day weekend six years ago. I'm rejoicing in my two daughters and their families who bring me such joy (and call me "Nana"). I'm feeling thankful for all the good and godly women who have  "mothered" me in ways too numerous to mention. 

As I searched the Internet for a poem to share with you, I came across several that impacted me, including the two below. Then I remembered one I'd written about my mother in 2006 but hadn't shared with you. 

As you read the poems below, I encourage you to find a way to express the thoughts in YOUR heart. Write them out. And, if you feel comfortable, share them with someone else as a gift from your heart to theirs. But even if no one sees your words except you, expressing your feelings will be cathartic--better than a session with a therapist! Even better: always do as Psalm 62:8 says, "Pour out your heart before God." He loves you. He hears you. He will help you.

https://rachelwojo.com/a-prayer-to-empower-moms-3/

The following is an excerpt from a poem written by a mother's son as he imagined what she would say and feel as she coped with his death. The link below the excerpt contains the entire poem, a letter he wrote to his mother, etc. But even if you have time to read only this portion of the poem, I'm sure you can feel the bittersweet emotion it expresses.

But I will speak their names to my own heart
In the long nights;
The little names that were familiar once
Round my dead hearth.
Lord, thou art hard on mothers:
We suffer in their coming and their going;
And tho' I grudge them not, I weary, weary
Of the long sorrow - And yet I have my joy:
My sons were faithful, and they fought.

https://www.irishamericanmom.com/the-mother-by-patrick-pearse/

A Prayer for Us

 

Opportunities to Love

For several years, my daughter Jena donated blood regularly. Then she started donating platelets instead. One day, someone from the donation center called to ask if she'd come in and donate platelets again since Jena's blood matched that of a patient who needed surgery but could not have it until there was an adequate supply of blood products on hand.

Jena gladly donated. Afterward, she posted these words on Facebook:

The last few times I have donated platelets it has been for a specific person in need. I am an HLA match for them. In short, that means there is something rare about their blood, and they can’t receive help from most donors; but I am a match for them. Whenever I donate, I always think about it helping someone and pray it will be a blessing, but this has been different. [I'm] more acutely aware there is another person on the other end. Someone counting on me. A connection. A person going through a major trial and having a need they are relying on a complete stranger to meet. A family desperately wanting their loved one to be ok.  

I am giving platelets every time I am eligible… but I can do more than that to help! I believe in the healing power of my God and in the power of prayer. I believe God hears his children and that we can take everything to the feet of Jesus. I do not know this person. I do not know the situation or all of their needs, but God does. GOD DOES! Please add this person and their family to your daily prayers. Pray for healing, comfort, peace, and that God would make HIS presence undeniable. Let’s lift them up! 

If you have questions about how to give blood products and eligibility of donors please visit: www.lifesouth.org

There is always a need, but the need is currently emergent.  

After I read her post, I gave thanks (yet again!) for having a daughter with a heart like hers! A heart that loves, not only in words but also in deeds [actions]. A heart that loves God and people. A heart that knows the power of prayer--and, thus, prays! 

May we, like Jena, welcome every opportunity to share God’s love with others. Even though we can't solve every problem for everybody, we can each do what we can to love and support one another. Even if we can’t donate blood or platelets, we can do something else. Even if we can’t do anything physical, we can pray for those who are struggling to make it through another day.

Guard and Guide

A friend told me that her daughter-in-law's cancer had come back and, thus, required another round of chemo. Then she said, "I'm praying for God's mercy and grace as He walks with her through this."

Her words triggered a memory of a painting that was on the wall of my Aunt Delia and Uncle Howard's bedroom when I was a child. Enthralled, I'd gaze at that lovely picture of a beautifully-robed angel hovering over two young children as they crossed a narrow, rickety footbridge that spanned turbulent water. I hadn't thought about that painting in years, but I'm glad I remembered it. 

As I reflected on it, I realized anew that many people, like the children depicted in the painting, are walking a scary part of their journey. The daughter-in-law who's battling cancer---again. The parents whose 10-year-old son was killed in a rodeo accident. An 85-year-old who's facing major surgery. A widowed wife and her young children....

I felt prompted to read Scriptures that speak about God's presence with us in times of trouble. Psalm 23:4 was especially comforting.

After reading that verse and several others, I prayed:

Oh, Lord God, thank You for the love that motivates You to walk with us along life's journey.

I lift up all those who need extra watching over while they're traveling through dark and scary places. Do give them the strength to carry on. Guide their steps. Comfort them with Your presence. Help them to realize they do not walk alone.

I Need Thee

 Note: I hope you enjoy this fiction story I wrote. I based it on the personal experience column I submitted for the Oct. 2021 issue of Chapel Hill News and Views magazine.

As Sharon swiped the perspiration from her face, she said, “I feel sad about all the stuff that’s going on in our world. I wonder when—or if—life will return to normal again, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do! Elaine replied.

After the two friends topped the hill on their walk around their neighborhood, Elaine recovered enough breath to continue the conversation.

“Early this morning, the words in an old hymn came to mind...the one that says, “I need Thee every hour…stay Thou nearby.”

Sharon smiled. “I love that song! I wish more people, including myself, realized that human strength and human wisdom are not adequate to deal with life’s challenges.”

      “Life is hard, isn’t it? It was hard even for the saints of old.”

Sharon stopped. Making eye contact with Elaine, she said, “Funny you should mention that. I've been thinking about Psalm 18 that my pastor read last Sunday morning. I read it again this morning in the Contemporary English Version. Just listen.”

Sharon opened up the YouVersion app on her cell phone and read verse 4: “Death had wrapped its ropes around me, and I was almost swallowed by its flooding waters.”

“Wow!” Elaine said. “As bad as things are today, I wouldn’t want to swap situations with him, would you? But…don’t keep me in suspense. What did David do?”

      “He cried out to the Lord for help! And the Lord heard David’s cries and rescued him.”

      “I imagine David was one happy man!” Elaine said, grinning at her friend.

      “Yep! But he didn’t just say, ‘Thank You very much.’ He took time to praise God. Listen to what David said in verses 30b-32: ‘You are a shield for those who run to you for help…You give me strength and guide me right.’” 

    As they started up the next hill, Elaine said, “I love stories about real people with real problems, don’t you? I learn so much from them.”

They walked on in silence for a bit. Then Elaine said, “While doing my daily Bible reading this morning, I read the 3^rd chapter of Lamentations. I can sooo relate to what the writer said.”

This time Elaine was the one who opened up YouVersion on her phone. “Listen to what he says in verses 19-24:

Just thinking of my troubles and my lonely wanderings makes me miserable. That’s all I ever think about, and I am depressed. Then I remember something that fills me with hope. The LORD’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, “The LORD is all I need. I can depend on him!”

Sharon said, “He’s so right about that. Since we can’t stop thinking about all the stuff that’s going on, and neither could he, maybe we should do what he did. Take time out to focus on what we KNOW to be true about God and to remember how He has always helped us through our difficulties—little ones and big ones.”

When they reached Elaine’s driveway, they paused to chat a bit more, as was their custom. Sharon said, “Let’s take a minute and pray together.”

Elaine nodded. “O Father, since problems ranging from mere annoyances to major upheavals continue to plague the human race, we often feel powerless and hopeless and full of despair. But today we cry out to You as countless other people of faith have done. We say, ‘O Father, we don’t understand why certain things happen, particularly to good people and innocent children. We don’t know what to do or say to reduce suffering. We don’t know when relief may come. But we know that You know.”

Elaine paused in order to give Sharon an opportunity to pray. “O, Father, we do look to You. We cry out to You regarding the needs of others as well as our own. While we wait for You to intervene, help us to remember, with thanksgiving, the countless times when You came to our aid when we felt scared and hopeless.”

When Sharon’s voice broke, Elaine prayed while Sharon regained her composure. “Help us to quiet our anxious thoughts by recalling the promises You’ve made, including this one: ‘I am the LORD your God. I am holding your hand, so don’t be afraid. I am here to help you’ (Isaiah 41:13, CEV).

“So, Father, we will cry out to You again and again. We will believe You love us and want to help us even more than we want to help our children.

“O Father, help us to live in faith, fully assured of this truth expressed in Ephesians 3:20-21: You are indeed able to do far more than anyone can ever ask for or even imagine. Thank You, Father.”

Sharon and Elaine both said, “Amen” and hugged each other. “See you tomorrow!

As they walked toward their homes, each hummed the old song, I Need Thee Every Hour, for indeed they did need Him. Don’t we all?  

 

©2021 by Johnnie Ann Gaskill

Hope

 I love benedictions and blessings, especially those in the Bible, don’t you? Recently, I read the one Paul penned to the Christians living in Rome centuries ago and realized it’s one we need. Many people lack hope these days. Some feel so hopeless that they take their own lives, or at least wish they could die and be done with all the struggles and sufferings. Others are not that depressed, yet still long for brighter days.

I’m asking God to confer upon you that blessing of hope, with its accompanying joy and peace. Whether you like the words recorded in older translations of the Bible or those in newer versions, may you allow the ancient yet relevant words to remind you that trusting in God will give you hope in the midst of the darkest of days.

Call Upon the Lord

 One recent day my daily Bible reading took me to Psalm 18, a psalm David wrote centuries ago after God had miraculously delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, including King Saul. David began his song of praise with a vow to love the Lord God and to trust God to preserve his life. After describing a time (one of many!) when he was in great distress, David summarized the solution: He cried out to God for help. God rescued him.

After reading David’s story of his desperate situation and dramatic rescue, I did what David did. I cried out to God--not for myself but on behalf of a person clinging to life in a distant hospital.

Oh, Father! The pangs of death surround [NAME]. Normally, he would cry out to You for help. But since he may not be conscious enough to do that, I'm crying out for him--and his family. If he is aware of how ill he is, comfort him. Enable him to feel Your love and Your presence. Relieve his pain. Heal his diseased body.

I call upon You for I believe, as David did, that You do hear and respond to the cries of Your children. For years, You have been [NAME’S] strength, his rock, his fortress, his deliverer. Even if he can’t beg You to help him during this crisis, continue to be his shield, his hope, his stronghold. 

O LORD GOD, if it pleases You, deal speedily with all the “enemies” that are attacking his body. But if Your divine plan is to call him home, help those of us who love [NAME] to accept Your decision and to realize that even a homegoing is a way of relieving suffering, just not the one we're longing for at this time.

No matter how You choose to rescue [NAME], may all who are praying for him continue to trust You and to continue to say:

Out of the Maze

 At the beginning of Psalm 77, the writer (Asaph) seems to be as confused and scared as someone who’s trying to find his way out of a maze on a foggy night. Perhaps we identify with him when he says,  

I cried out to God with my voice…

And He [listened] to me.

…I sought the LORD;

My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;

My soul refused to be comforted (Psalm 77:1-2, NKJV).

 

Even remembering God troubled Asaph. Why? He doesn’t say, but I wonder, Was it because he thought God wasn’t acting like the kind of God he’d known and trusted? That could explain why he complained and felt overwhelmed.

Following the first three verses is the word Selah, which one Bible version translates “Pause in his presence.”

Asaph does that. He remembers the “good old days.” He searches for answers to hard questions: Will the Lord cast off forever? Will He ever be favorable toward me/my nation again? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forever? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has God become so angry that He has shut up His tender mercies?

 But…beginning in verse 10, Asaph’s thinking shifts dramatically. He says, both to himself and to God:

In the remainder of the psalm, Asaph does those three things—and finds the way out of the spiritual maze.

A Tough Assignment

Notes: 

• As per my request, my 19-year-old granddaughter provided a word/phrase for each of the seven categories I sent to her. I challenged myself to use all seven in a FICTION story.

Noun: Japan 

Verb: refine

Adjective: lustrous

Adverb: safely 

Color: cherry blossom pink

Career: writer

Abstract word: justice 

• The photo is one I took years ago on a street near my house.
• The word count is much higher than in my usual posts, but I hope that won’t be a problem.
• I’d love to know what you think of the story. Please post a comment or send an email.

Valerie gasped as she did every spring when she turned onto Sunset Avenue. This IS a sight to behold. Yoshino cherry trees in full bloom stood in single file in the middle of a 20-ft.-wide grassy median that stretched as far as her eyes could see up the sloping street.  

After she parked her car—half on the street and half on the grass—she grabbed her camera and began to photograph the graceful sweep of the trees. Once she’d gotten what photographers call “environmental shots,” she stepped toward the nearest tree to photograph closeups of the blooms where buzzing bumblebees sipped sweet nectar.

The sights and sounds and a slight almond fragrance so captivated her senses that she “plumb forgot,” as her granny would say, why she had come. But when an old truck rumbled past, spoiling her sense of wonder, she returned to her car and opened her iPad to write the article assigned to her.

Unsure how to write the controversial piece, she bowed her head and whispered the words she prayed before beginning any writing assignment: “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You, Lord.”

Taking a deep breath, Valerie started typing whatever thoughts popped into her mind, knowing she’d probably have to delete most of the words and then refine—and rearrange—whatever remained. But, as a writer, she understood the value of warming up, of just beginning somewhere, of clearing a mental path for the right words needed to explain sensitive and significant matters. 

While she appreciated having a loyal following of local readers, many of whom said, “I trust you to tell the truth about what’s going on in our town,” she always felt the weight of that trust since she knew words either doused or fanned the flames of controversy. That was certainly true in this situation. 

Although everyone agreed the cherry trees were beautiful, especially during mid-March to mid-April when they bloomed profusely, the property owners on Sunset Avenue were enraged over what happened in their neighborhood during that time. Practically every resident of the city and county, as well as out-of-towners who’d heard about the trees, drove slowly up and down Sunset Avenue to take lingering looks at the beauty. Occasionally, they parked and wandered around to photograph the trees, as Valerie had done. Some parked on the edges of the lawns that bordered the avenue, which incensed the property owners. “We work hard to keep our yards pretty. We don’t want people parking on our grass—or making it hard for us to get out of our own driveways. Something has to be done!”

To deal with the complaints, the chairman of the City Council scheduled a special “open” meeting to discuss the matter. The Council expected a large crowd: angry residents eager to ban the traffic; other citizens insisting they had every right to see the annual sight. A week before the meeting, the mayor said to the newspaper editor, “Send your best writer out there to snap some pictures of the trees, to interview property owners, and to write an article that will clarify the situation.”

“Will do! Valerie is my best writer. I’ll send her.”

Valerie began with these words: “For fifty years the Yoshino cherry trees on Sunset Avenue have delighted onlookers and provided food and shade for bees, birds—like Cardinals, Cedar Wax Wings, Robins— and small mammals, just as they do in their native Japan and elsewhere. Surely, we can work together to create a win-win solution for all concerned.” 

After quoting people on both sides of the issue, she concluded the article by saying, “Why not invite onlookers to park in the city-owned strip between Town Creek and Sunset Avenue? They can easily— and safely—stroll up and down the median to enjoy the trees without being in the street or on private property. Perhaps a benefactor or one of the garden clubs could consider placing metal benches, painted cherry-blossom-pink, near the trees at the entrance to Sunset Avenue and at the top of the hill so that those who’d like to linger or rest a bit could do so.”

Pleased with her work, she pushed her lustrous black hair away from her face before heading back to the newspaper office.

“See what you think,” she said to the editor as she sat across from him. “You may have to refine it a bit, but I think it’s pretty good. I presented both sides of the issue, and I tried really hard to get some great pictures of the trees….though I’m afraid none of them do justice to the beauty of those trees.”

After reading the article, he grinned at her. “This is brilliant!”

She returned his smile. “Well, I did have a lot of help!”

“You did?”

“Yep! My Source came through once again.”

Troublesome Times

The coronavirus pandemic. Isolation. Shifting of roles. Loss of routines. Suffering of all sorts. Dying—in its various forms. Rioting. Earthquakes and other disasters. Wars. Heartbreak. Desperation....

As I reflected on such things, I recalled these words contained in an old song: “Troublesome times are here, causing men’s hearts to fear.” R. E. Winsett was right when he wrote them in the 1940s. They remain true today.

Troublesome times ARE here—and have been for centuries. Oh, how sin has marred everything. If my heart is grieved, and it surely is, then God’s heart is grieved even more as He sees what is happening to the people and to the world He created.

Even though people have fallen so far from what God wants them to be, He still loves them. He is still forgiving and gracious toward even the most evil one among us. He still yearns for each of us to repent—to turn from our sins and turn to Him, as did the prodigal son who came to his senses and chose to return to the father who loved him. (See Luke 15.)

Troublesome times can and should lead us to turn to our God, to confess our sins and our shortcomings, to ask Him to forgive us and to restore what sin has stolen from us. Once we’re in right relationship with our God, then let’s ask Him to show us what we—each of us—can do to help ourselves and others recover from the troublesome times.

Rekindle!

When the trail ran cold, I wondered, What happened to her? 

I'd discovered her while searching YouTube for what has quickly become one of my favorite songs: O to Be Like Thee. I'd listened to several renditions, including this one, before I found hers..I liked how her sweet and sincere voice expressed so beautifully the "prayer" written by Thomas O. Chisholm (1897). 

After finding only three more of her videos on YouTube, I searched other Internet sites but found no recent posts. I wondered, Why did she stop producing and posting? Had something tragic happened? Did she simply give up? If so, why? Because she assumed few people truly enjoyed and/or benefitted from her work? 

I've felt that way about my work, as you may have about yours. If so, we know how much we need people to say to us what the apostle Paul said to Timothy, a young Christian who was struggling with the ministry assigned to him. "...use the gift God gave you...let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire...fulfill your ministry...keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant..." (See various translations of 2 Timothy 1:6 and 4:5).

Since we need such encouragement, let's faithfully encourage others. Our words will rekindle their resolve and, possibly, prevent them from giving up!

Pray!

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

--God

(2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV)

Feeling Better

When I got out of bed on November 18, 2009, I felt much better than I had in about a week.

I was no longer dragging around while feeling the need to return to bed. My stuffiness was nearly gone, and I wasn’t coughing every few minutes. My thinking seemed sharper, and I noticed a difference in the way I sounded when people called to check on me. My voice sounded like mine again, and I was able to kid around some instead of describing my flu-like symptoms. 

As I thanked God for healing me, I thought about one of the psalms (songs) of praise David had written many centuries ago. In it (Psalm 103), David says that the Lord “heals all my diseases…” (vv.3b, 4).

However, David praises and thanks God for far more than physical healing. For example, he says, “Praise the LORD, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me.

      

“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases….He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” (Psalm 103:1-4).

      

Although David’s list goes on, it doesn’t contain all that God does for him. No list can do that!

      

David also gives thanks for what God is like. “The LORD is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love…The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate toward those who fear him. For he understands how weak we are…” (vv. 8-14).

      

Because of who God is and what He does for us, may you and I say, as David did, “As for me—I, too, will praise the LORD” (Psalm 103:22).

      

Even if the Lord doesn’t do everything we asked Him to, we can still praise and thank Him for all that He does do, can’t we? After all, He doesn’t have to grant our every wish any more than an earthly father must do everything his children ask him to do for them.

When God says “No” to a request, it doesn’t mean He can’t fulfill it. Neither does it mean He doesn’t love us enough to grant our request.

So, let’s continue to thank Him for all the ways He cares for us and trust He will act on our behalf—in His time and in accordance with His plan.

Copyright © 2009 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill, www.jgaskill.com. Scripture quoted is from the New Living Translation.

Time Bears Us Away

Although the words in old hymns often seem rather antiquated, I do enjoy the thoughts expressed so beautifully and truthfully by saints of long ago. This morning, for example, I started my quiet time by humming the words to Isaac Watts’ centuries-old song (1719),  “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.”

Yellowstone National Park, 2019

The words in verse 5 captured my attention:

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

Bears all its sons away;

They fly, forgotten, as a dream

Dies at the op-‘ning day.

Time does bear all of us away, at some point, doesn’t it? That’s why it’s so crucial that we ask God, as Moses did, to help us realize the brevity of life so that we may live wisely and well, so that our lives—brief as they are even if we live until we are advanced in years—will be lives of significance and service. (See Psalm 90:12.)

Grateful

A birthday bouquet from a friend.

Each expression of love I received on my birthday made me feel extra happy. Phone calls. Text messages. Emails. Facebook messages. Cards. Gifts. Visits. Hugs. Kindnesses. 

Although I felt deeply grateful for each person who remembered me on my birthday, I felt even more grateful to God who has given me so many years of life--and precious family and friends with whom to share it. 

Those feelings prompted me to say "Yes!" when I read these words in a book* a friend sent me for my birthday: "Father...thank you for breath. May I use it only to praise you. Thank you for life. May I use it only to exalt you."  

*Julie Ackerman Link, 100 Prayers Inspired by the Psalms, p. 27

His Prayer, My Prayer

Prayer is a conversation with God. He speaks to us. We speak to Him. When I read (or listen to) the prayers of others, I often think, "Yes, Father, that's what I want to say to You, too."


For example, after reading and studying what the prophet said to God in Isaiah 25:1-4, I paraphrased a portion of Isaiah's words to make this my prayer:
"O LORD, You are my God. I will honor You. I will praise Your name, because You have done wonderful things, things You planned long ago and are faithfully accomplishing, one by one.

"You have been and continue to be a strong tower of refuge for the poor, for the needy, and for people in any kind of distress. 

"You are a refuge from the storms of life and a shelter from its heat. I run to You, deeply thankful to have such a much-needed refuge. I can't 'do life' without You!"

God Be In Me

Note: I found this beautiful prayer in Derek Prime's book, A Good Old Age. Isn't it a good one to pray daily?