In recent weeks, I’ve been re-reading Jan Karon’s Mitford series. The series is the ongoing story of Father Timothy Kavanaugh, his bride Cynthia, their black lab Barnabas, their adopted son Dooley, and the memorable folk who call the small town of Mitford “home.” This series is one of the treasures in the Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church Library, a labor of love by the late Sarah Ruth Currie Thompson. This is the only room in our church basement untouched by the waters of recent storms. Many credit that to Sarah Ruth’s watchful care over this spot so dear to her heart!
One of those books, A Continual Feast , is filled with quotes that mean a lot to Father Tim, those quotes coming from a number of different sources. These are among my favorites:
“Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suffering or he will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations, and say continually: The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart has trusted in Him, and I am helped. He is not only with me, but in me and I in him.”
“We are, finally, all wanderers in search of knowledge. Most of us hold the dream of becoming something better than we are, something larger, richer, in some way more important to the world and ourselves. Too often, the way taken is the wrong way, with too much emphasis on what we want to have, rather than what we wish to become.”
“Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ and go out into the irresistible future with Him.”
“As Christians, we can’t love the whole world. But we should remember that God has placed us in a specific community at a particular time. We are called to love those around us.”
“Be like the bird … be like the butterfly…”
“Lord I know not what to ask of Thee; Thou knowest what I need; Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself. O Father, give to Thy child that which he himself knows not how to ask. I dare not ask either for crosses or for consolations … I simply present myself before Thee. I open my heart to Thee. Behold my needs which I know not myself; see and do according to Thy tender mercies.”
“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. This should be one’s symphony.”
“Let us make the most of all that comes…and the least of all that goes…”
“Storms make oaks take deeper root; God preserves His order despite our chaos.”
“If you judge people you have no time to love them.”
“The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide.”
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
“You know you’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoes and wonder what else you can do while you’re down there.”
“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and testing as God’s creature. What you are in His sight is what you are, and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing you have received, but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”
Giving thanks for this “continual feast” of inspiring thoughts to help along life’s way, and for those streams of mercy, never ceasing.
Elizabeth
What a week this has been! After missing worship together last week, we endured days without power, torrential rain, strong winds and rising waters. We’ve dealt with flooding basements, leaking roofs and crumbling country roads. After a week of rooftop rescues and heroic efforts to save life; after a week of following detour after detour to get into and out of Jackson Springs; after a week when strangers became friends and neighbors became family; after “the storm passed by, ” we gathered for worship at Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church.
While I thought long and hard about changing the hymns and the sermon, preaching on getting through the storms of life and singing hymns like “Til the Storm Passes By” and hymns about Jesus calming the stormy seas; somehow it seems important to honor the week that is passed by going on with life, and being grateful for the chance to do so.
Every new day is a chance to sing “When morning gilds the skies, my heart awakening cries, may Jesus Christ be praised.” Every new day is a good day to ask God to “open our eyes that we might see glimpses of truth he has for us.” Every new day is a good day to sing, “Lord, speak to me, that I may speak,” praying that our words to each other be a reflection of God’s word to us.
This has been a week of grieving for our brothers and sisters in many places - so much suffering and struggle, and the agony continues. I’ve shared with many of you that I’ve found it difficult to use the word “blessed” to describe my good fortune at making it through this difficult week with only a soggy basement in the manse and at the church. It seems if I use the word “blessed” for myself, it automatically designates others whose homes washed away as “not blessed.” I’m more comfortable using the word “fortunate!”
Every time we turn on the television, we hear words of anger and frustration, words of fear, discouragement and hopelessness, words of weariness and disappointment, words of judgment and division; sometimes there just are no words for what we’re going through.
Together we prayed: “Meet the needs of your children everywhere; help all to find a way through these days after the storm. Move neighbors to help neighbors; enable government agencies to cut through red tape and respond to needs; shine your light of hope in the shadows of this life. In the midst of all the struggles we face, may we feel your loving care around us, and underneath your everlasting arms. When we lose sight of your goodness in the midst of the circumstances of this life, help us to see your vision of a world made one in Jesus Christ, and work together for the coming of that day.”
Ever grateful for those streams of mercy and showers of blessing that help us through the storms of this life. Peace.
Elizabeth
I’m writing this a few days early to be sure it gets done. As we await the arrival of Hurricane Florence, we’re mindful of getting things done before the storm. Needed supplies are gathered in, and all are getting ready to “hunker down,” as we say in the mountains, and “ride out the storm.”
A friend called to share what her niece had done before the Houston storm, and I was reminded of such “acts of prayer and worship” in other seasons of my life. In a group of “turn-on-a-dime” friends in Virginia, we remembered the importance of such loving acts. (“turn-on-a –dime” means to be ready to following God’s leading at a moment’s notice!)
This friend’s niece prayed for the trees in her yard, thanking them for their shade and the beauty, reminding them how long they’d been there and how deep their roots were, and prayed that they would stand tall and strong when the winds and the rains come. She also blessed her house and left white lilies on the porch as they drove away.
This friend blessed the land of her family farm, then came to the church and manse to do the same. How blessed I am to be reminded of the importance of such acts of love and grace. I passed this message along to those I knew had the heart to understand, and now I’m passing it on to everyone.
I have a photo of the large tree standing guard over the manse, a visible sign of the cross clearly showing – the cross created by the shadow of the pump house door framed by two bird feeders- a visible reminder of God’s watchful care.
I remember another time I was blessed to see a sign of the cross. When I was in Sixth Grade, we studied all during Lent in Communicants Class, and we “joined the church/were confirmed” on Easter Sunday. On Maundy Thursday we met with the session and were required to say the Apostles’ Creed by candlelight in that meeting. It was a very moving experience. When I went home that evening, I knelt for prayer at my bedroom window and looking out through the screen to the full moon, I saw the form of the cross. Of course there was no air-conditioning back then, so I was looking directly through the screen. Try it! There are signs all around for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. (Note: This doesn’t work if you’re looking through the glass window and the screen.)
Whatever the storm may bring, may this prayer bring us comfort and peace:
“’Til the storm passes over, ‘til the thunder sounds no more, ‘til the clouds roll forever from the sky. Hold us fast, let us stand in the hollow of Thy hand. Keep us safe, ‘til the storm passes by.”
Grateful for those streams of mercy, never ceasing, carrying us through the storm of this life into the life to come. Peace.
Elizabeth