My Father's world

This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world,
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas,
His hands the wonders wrought.
Maltbie D. Babcock

I guess I'm on a bit of a hymn kick the past few weeks. Not a bad thing. The weather has been just lovely the past couple of days here-- it's warming up and thawing everything, bits of blue sky peeking out of the clouds, the snow melting. It's the kind of weather that makes me want to spend every moment of daylight out exploring the woods or walking or just sitting in the sun.

Yesterday after church I went up the hill behind my cabin (and the house where I grew up) to run around and get a bit of exercise. I do this pretty often when the weather is like this, and every time this hymn by Babcock comes to mind. Having grown up in the woods, the sights and sounds and smells of wet moss and singing birds and dark pines reaching out of the fog are home to me like few other things in this world. I have lived in cities, and sometimes even loved living in cities, but nothing quite sings the grandeur and majesty of God like His untouched creation-- it's good to be home.

A calm and thankful heart

I admire Anne Steele quite a lot. I may have mentioned her before, but she's worth mentioning again. Loved the Lord, lost her fiance to drowning the day before her wedding, devoted the rest of her life to assisting her father in ministry and writing beautiful hymns of surrender and devotion to God. Here's one of my favorites, a simple prayer:

Father, whate'er of earthly bliss
Thy sovereign will denies,
Accepted at Thy throne, let this,
My humble prayer, arise:

Give me a calm and thankful heart,
From every murmur free;
The blessing of Thy grace impart,
And make me live to Thee.

Let the sweet hope that Thou art mine
My life and death attend,
Thy presence through my journey shine,
And crown my journey's end.

This is my prayer, in this time as in all times. Let me be calm and thankful, blessed by Your blessings and fixed on Your hope. Walk me through this life until death, and be there to meet me in glory at the end of it all.

Sweet, sweet hymns

Over the past 9 months or so, thanks mostly to the influence of one person, I've developed a love for old hymns. So much theology, so much comfort, so much fellowship with the experiences of believers in days gone by-- I appreciate today's choruses for what they are, and I think they have their purpose, but there's just something about hymns.

God met me in hymns tonight. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with life, and especially with one situation. He prepared me for it in a beautiful way, and He has helped me to meet it with courage and faith in His faithfulness, but I am still human and prone to be overwhelmed from time to time. Tonight I was tired and discouraged and not feeling particularly inclined to continue on with the good fight, but:

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, I will still give thee aid!
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee, I only design
thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake.

Sweet comfort.