Love for Hard-to-love People

O Beloved of my soul,
   This do I desire:
Faith for the impossible,
   Love that will not tire.
Jesus, Saviour, Lover, give me
Love for the unlovable,
   Love that will not tire.

O Beloved of my soul,
   Yet again I come;
Give me cords of love to draw
   Many wanderers home.
Jesus, Saviour, Lover, give me
Love that knows nor strain nor flaw,
   Love to lead them home.

by Amy Carmichael,  Edges of His Ways

Psalms 42 and 43

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why do you sigh within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again be thanking Him,
In the presence of my Savior and my God.

By day the Lord bestows His grace,
And at night I have His song,
A prayer to the living God,
A prayer to the living God.

Send forth Your light, O Lord,
Lead me on.
Bring me to Your holy mountain.
Then I will go to Your altar.
O Lord, You are my gladness and joy.


Note:  Happy birthday, husband.  This song I dedicate to you.  I thank you for sharing life with me, and for all the times you encouraged me to put my hope in God.   Let us be led by God's blazing light each day and rejoice together as we go to His altar of grace and everlasting love received in the Holy Eucharist.

Commit Your Care

Commit your care, commit your care,
For I am here, and I am there.
Commit, commit, and do not fear,
For they are dear and you are dear.

Where is your care? Where is your care?
You cannot find it anywhere.
You cannot find it anywhere.
I heard your prayer, I heard your prayer.

by Amy Carmichael,  Edges of His Ways

Psalm 133

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
   For brethren to dwell together;
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
   For brethren to dwell in unity.

It is like the precious oil
   Upon the head of Aaron
   Running down his beard
   And the edge of his garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon
   Descending on the mountains
   Of Zion.

For there the Lord has commanded
   The blessing,
   The blessing -
      Life forevermore,
      Life forevermore.

Note:  I love this psalm and the metaphors used to describe the blessing of Church unity.  When the Church unites, the blessing of God descends upon the Body of Christ,  just as the oil of God's anointing runs down Aaron's beard and the dew descends upon the mountains.  We rejoice with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ who share the blessing of Life eternal in Christ Jesus.  Let us strive to be unite our hearts and lives with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ,  for we are all part of the Body of Christ.

Sing I Must

Lover of souls, Thee have I heard,

   Thee will I sing, for sing I must;

Thy good and comfortable word

   Hath raised my spirit from the dust.

by Amy Carmichael,  Edges of His Ways

Seeking the Truth

To travel this world over;
This desire burns in her heart.
She wants to experience,
                 to learn,
                 to grow.

Yet the flame is smothered by fear.
She becomes dizzy as she gazes
Over the steep climb she has managed,
                 overwhelmed
                 by the thought of falling.

Sure enough, she begins to fall,
Tumbling downwards
On this well established slide.

Looking up, she can hardly believe
She was just near the crest
Only an eye's blink ago.

Everything is fuzzy as she peers out
Through tears
That will not shed.

Heaviness weighs her down,
And it takes some time
Even to stand up.

Once on her feet,
She wonders if it is worth trying again.
Her dreams seem lost.

Up over the crest,
A ray of light is shattered
By the thick mist.

It seems so far away,
But essential for life;
So she begins her journey
              once again.

by Julie St. John,  January, 1986

Note:  I wrote this as a young, single person.  I had a desire to work overseas, to give my life for the poor of this world.  Yet, I lacked confidence and stability.  Many years have passed, and now I am a middle-aged mother of six children who are growing up so fast.  The Lord, in His kindness and love, has provided opportunity for us to work overseas, to give our life for the poor of this world.  We thank Him for opening the way to return to Tanzania for a two-year period.  We pray that we will be of use to the Lord in sharing Christ with our African brethren.  We pray that our grown children will know the vocation that God is calling them to pursue, and that He will guide their lives step by step just as He has guided our lives through these many years.  It is not easy to leave our home here in rural Kentucky, but we are thankful for this opportunity to be a blessing to the African church in the Diocese of Victoria Nyanza (Lake Victoria).

Teach Us to Pray

Saviour, in Whom we have access with confidence,
Lead us in prayer to-day;
Here at Thy feet we lay
All our desires; do Thou
Direct us now.

O loving Comforter, help our infirmities,
That which we know not teach;
Fashion our mortal speech
That we may know how to pray
The Heavenly way.

by Amy Carmichael,  Edges of His Ways