Do the Next Thing

 

From an old English parsonage down by the sea

There came in the twilight a message for me;

Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,

Hath, as it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.

And on through the hours the quiet words ring,

Like a low inspiration: DO THE NEXT THING.

Many a questioning, many a fear,

Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.

Moment by moment let down from Heaven,

Time, opportunity, guidance, are given.

Fear not tomorrows, Child of the King,

Trust them with Jesus. DO THE NEXT THING.

Do it immediately; do it with prayer;

Do it reliantly, casting all care;

Do it with reverence, tracing His hand

Who placed it before thee with earnest command,

Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,

Leave all resultings. DO THE NEXT THING.

Looking to Jesus, ever serener,

(Working or suffering) be thy demeanor.

In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,

The light of His countenance be thy psalm.

Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing!

Then, as He beckons thee, DO THE NEXT THING.

(Anonymous)

.............

♥

C.S. Lewis and a Homespun Tree

........

 I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure that God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do enter your room, you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise. But you must regard it as waiting, not as camping. You must keep on praying for light: and of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house. And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and paneling.

Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis

........

♥

On Unconditional Reverence

.......

  'In Ecclesiastes, we are confronted with our powerlessness. Neither the human race collectively nor any of us individually can ever be sure that performing actions "A" and "B" will lead to "C" in this life. It might, but it might not ... 

'The key to human conduct, therefore, lies not in figuring out what will produce this or that result tomorrow -- it lies in the fear of God and obedience to what He has commanded. By frustrating our ability to create the future we want in this world, even by the means of religious activity, God is calling us back to the main thing that was lost in Eden; simple, unconditional reverence. We must adjust our minds to the doing of what is right because it is right, and not because it will turn earthly events in our direction. The sooner we give up our "comprehend and control" approach to life, the sooner we'll be ready to hear the gospel.'

Obeying the Gospel, Gary Henry 

Excerpt from October 30

.........

♥

Prayer: Our Emotions + God's Truth || Psalm 42

......

Below are some thoughts I took away from Psalm 42 regarding prayer, begun a couple months ago in my journal and fleshed out here! :)

It's so insightful how the psalmist goes back and forth with himself in this prayer. He starts out "panting" for God, "thirsting" for Him, crying out in anguish day and night – for one, apparently distressed because unbelievers around him are questioning God's very existence, as circumstances seem to indicate (in their minds) He's not showing up to help; and second, because the situation he is in is apparently a really difficult one, hence his desire for God's help. So he "pours out his soul within him” (v.4), remembering a time when he was surrounded by the faithful and grieving his current situation.

He begins v.5 by rather upbraiding his own soul, reminding himself that he needs to hope in God – praise God – "for the help (or saving acts) of His presence." God has, in other words, already proven Himself trustworthy, so “why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?” He’s grounding his emotions in truth here. No matter how dire circumstances are, the truth is that God is absolutely always present and faithful and leading His children. But even though the Psalmist knows this, he is also honest in his pain, and acknowledges to the Lord that still, "O my God, my soul is in despair within me." That is really powerful. Even though he knows what is objectively true – that the all-powerful God is present and cares and is fulfilling His will – he still frankly acknowledges to God exactly how he is feeling. What a reassuring and beautiful lesson concerning our prayers to our Father! It's okay to come to the Lord with our deep heartache, fear, longing, and uncertainty – and we can do this while still believing in His omniscient nature. Trust in Him does not prohibit us from pouring out our hearts to Him in our uncertainty, and what’s more, He actually wants that from you and me! He doesn’t grow impatient of our finite understanding, nor does He view our pain over things we don’t understand as a lack of faith in His care of our lives. It's astounding, that level of compassion.

The thing is, the Psalmist never just stays in this place of distressed outpouring. In fact, because of the despair he feels, he immediately refers again to God’s power: "therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan, and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar."(v. 6) God, he says, has come through before and He has not suddenly lost His power now. And as he speaks of his pain, saying "all Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me,"(v. 7) he yet grounds himself with the TRUTH that "the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life."(v. 8) God will not forsake him –providing His lovingkindness in the daytime – and His song (a prayer, an avenue of communication) at night. Wow. So not only do we have assurance of the Lord's constant help and presence, but on the one hand, we see His compassionate patience and desire for our honest communication with Him – and on the other, we see complete faith and trust in the one praying. It’s a great example of the type of prayer mentioned in James 1:6, in which there are two parts to the equation of a prayer that WORKS: first, a God who is generous, compassionate, and gives without reproach, and second, a child of God who, full of faith in his Father, meets Him without doubt.

After all of this internal turmoil, expressing his emotional pain and yet always coming back to God's faithfulness, the psalmist cries out one more time, "why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?'" It’s interesting – he seems to remind the Lord (again) that his adversaries are mocking the fact that God (in their minds) is not coming to the rescue. He actually seems to be as distressed about this as he is about his own affliction. Which leads me to ask myself – am I that earnest in defending the honor of my God, of Jesus Christ who DIED for me and without whom I would have nothing? Am I that distressed when I hear untrue statements about Him, mocking disrespect of Him, or flippant irreverence toward Him among friends or co-workers? Do the people around me know that I don’t go along with that kind of talk? Christians ... be clear!!

I love that he ends with the simple truth. He has poured out his anguish to God, and at the conclusion of his prayer he comes back to what will never fail. "Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him – the help of my countenance and my God." Amen! Our Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever -- and may He give me the faith and trust to be able to bring this kind of prayer before Him. Y’all have a wonderful week!

 ......

The Sunken Garden | Walter de la Mare

Speak not -- whisper not;

Here bloweth thyme and bergamot;

Softly on the evening hour, 

Secret herbs their spices shower,

Dark-spiked rosemary and myrrh,

Lean-stalked, purple, lavender;

Hides within her bosom, too,

All her sorrows, bitter rue.

Breathe not -- trespass not;

Of this green and darkling spot,

Latticed from the moon's beams,

Perchance a distant dreamer dreams;

Perchance upon its darkening air,

The unseen ghosts of children fare,

Faintly swinging, sway and sweep,

Like lovely sea-flowers in its deep;

While, unmoved, to watch and ward,

Mid its gloomed and daisied sward,

Stands with bowed and dewy head

That one little Leaden lad.

::lavender::

::chamomile::

::lemon verbena::

::rosemary::

::calendula::

♥

Hope for the Righteous | Psalm 14

 "For God is with the righteous generation. You would put to death the counsel of the afflicted, but the Lord is His refuge."

Psalm 14:5-6 

 David begins Psalm 14 with an apparently hopeless statement, "There is no one who does good." In verse 1, all the world has seemingly turned aside ... they are corrupt, committing abominable deeds ... there is not even ONE who does good. What a desolate thought. Reminds me of Elijah's heartache in 1 Kings 19:10 ... "The sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left ..."

But hang on, David! As the Lord "looks down from heaven to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God," (v.2) David has an epiphany, declaring, "God is with the righteous generation," (v.5) and "the Lord is his refuge"! (v.6) There is a remnant, just as God reminded Elijah later on in that great man's despair. He was - and we are - part of a righteous generation that God has left alive and it is well and truly living. It might be tiny. It might be hard to find amid this generation of sons of men (just as it was then) who say "there is no God." (v.1) But it is there - hallelujah!

David goes on in v.7 to express his longing for the salvation of Israel. Well - it has come. It has come with a new Kingdom, one that cannot be shaken or crushed. And the spiritual Israel can be glad, for Jesus has already overcome its enemy and WE are living in that age of redemption. What an incredible time to live. The age David hoped for - the age the prophets desired to see - we are the ones privileged to live in it, within the blessings of the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, the One who ultimately delivered Israel and reigns now until the end of time. What a truly awesome reality.

And because it is reality, I am encouraged today. I do get fainthearted like David and Elijah. I am tempted often to feel incredibly alone and hopeless. But just as David realized when writing this psalm, that is never completely the case. And because of the power of the Son of God, my life will never be hopeless even in my deepest pain: "for God is with the righteous generation ... the Lord is his refuge." Praise the Lord.

♥

I don't know what to title this ...

.........

Introducing a prestigious guest blogger *drumroll* ……

My sister! The following are some daily family interactions from her point of view.* Enjoy!

*The following views are specifically those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the blog editor. Believe at your own discretion.

………

me: "for some reason my toe is itching."

sis: "you probably have athlete's foot."

me: "...and it's super awkward because it's hard to scratch there …."

sis: "athlete's foot. it's what you have. just sayin."

me: "...ANYway…"

……..

……..

sister: "but see i'm showing you the way to become a good healthy woman by letting you wash the dishes. you'll thank me one day."

........

me to my 3 year old nephew: "ok let's talk nicely to each other."

3 year old nephew: "but i can't!!!"

me: 0_0

........

........

sister: "UGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE'S NO MORE OATMEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

........

mom: "ok i wrote down dad's number and my number and your sister's number and your sister's work number and dad's work number. if you need anything you can call me or dad or your sister. if the house burns down call 911 and then call your sister."

me: "so you ARE planning on coming back tomorrow, right?" 

........

........

dad; *in the highest voice possible* "oh the lil coochie woochie Lightning Bolt!" (Lightning's our dog ehehe)

me: "singing opera over there, dad?"

sister: *chokes*

……..

sister: "i'm going to be a dried up moldy spinster."

me: "no worries! i'll find prince charming for you!!"

sister: "no thank you."

me: "do you really not trust my judgement??"

sister: "no."

........

Going Right

......

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,

Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I'll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Suffering is part of life in Christ. Jesus didn't come to bring peace on earth, but a sword -- He said it! And this walk isn't for the fainthearted. But it also isn't for the ones who proudly boast they can surely do it all. The former will find themselves eaten up at the first difficult conflict. The latter will try to fight in their own strength and will end up prey to their own pride. The ones who will come Home, in the end, are those who lean not on their own strength, either in fear of their weakness or overconfidence in themselves, but rather have poured all confidence into Christ's provision for them whatever comes along.

As children of God, our hearts still experience hurt. We are affected by the decisions of fellow brethren, friends, and family members -- by decisions of our Lord about things our souls long for but that He knows otherwise about -- by Satan's deadly and oh-so-effective missiles of bitterness, heartache, betrayal, isolation, loneliness, and fear.

 

Sometimes in the midst of those feelings there seems to be nothing much going right to provide a balm (although as an aside - there always is :). But when I look at the above list of earth-struggles - when I really think about that list - those things are exactly what Jesus either experienced or was tempted by while He was here, all of them, except in a magnitude that we will never even come close to. What right have we to feel sorry for ourselves when Christ went through just this and infinitely MORE, merely to save us, human beings who had no right to eternal life at all?

And what does "going right" really mean, anyway?? Did the apostles think things were "going right" when the King of Israel was hung on a cross (despite His repeated attempts to help them understand this would happen)? Did James's brethren not grieve when he was one of the first apostles to be martyred for his faith? And yet ... in God's eyes, in the full measure of His wisdom and foresight, these things were ... Right. Not right in the sense that they were pure and sinless things and God was pleased with those who did them -- but they were consistent with the Plan and the consequences of following it. There would be suffering and death and horrific torture for the brethren who chose to follow Jesus Christ -- but they accepted it and kept right on going because their perspective was powerfully different from the rest of humanity's. They had a true understanding of what "going right" really meant, what God's understanding of it always was and still is. That "Going Right" in this life is Discipline. It is Instruction. It is Preparation. It is things that keep us longing for Home and reminding us this world isn't what we should be living for. It is sometimes pain and loneliness and heartache. It is also deep and fulfilling joy in Christ, confidence in this life knowing that this is all going to end one day and we'll be at peace. It is HOPE.

I guess my point is, our concept of Going Right needs to be consistent with God's Going Right. We'll never find peace here unless that happens and that ONLY happens when our faith is in God's ability to see what we don't and know what we can't. Only then will WE be able to see beyond the moment.

One of the verses of the hymn "In His Time" says, "Though the answer [to your prayers] may not be what you think that it should be, He will answer every need in His time." That's hard. When our hopes for our lives have turned out quite the opposite -- when they've been broken and discombobulated and turned upside down -- it's tough being reconciled to that and to accepting and living in the lives we have now. But you know what? Even then -- life's Going Right! Because God knows what we don't. He cares for us and He will always do what is right for us as long as we follow Him. He can see beyond the moment, and therefore so should we. To heaven. To the time when we and our brothers and sisters who have all experienced similar earth-struggles will be at peace, and we will no longer have to struggle. That is beautiful to think about.

So. Here's to refining my idea of Going Right in 2017. May God give you and me the strength to take every new day just one at a time, trusting fully in His PERFECT will for our lives, when He takes us through the hard places, and when He sees fit to give us times of joy.

Happy New Year!

......

Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
But He knows the way I take;
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
My foot has held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
 Job 23:8-12

To Have Chosen ...

......

“Pain and suffering produce a fork in the road. It is not possible to remain unchanged. To let others or circumstances dictate your future is to have chosen. To allow pain to corrode your spirit is to have chosen. And to be transformed into the image of Christ by these difficult and trying circumstances is to have chosen.” 

Tim Hansel 

......
 

:: Tidbits from Gaskell ::

I took Wives and Daughters to read at the doctor's office Monday, and realized it had been a while since I had been treated to such a wit as hers - more than once she made me smile in that waiting room! Mrs. Gaskell's writing is tremendously clever, especially when it comes to bringing out the entertaining idiosyncrasies in her characters ... I suspect her adeptness in this area is one of the reasons her Cranford novels were such successes on screen in the recent BBC adaptions. In any case, her writing makes for a delightful read!

......

'All Hollingford felt as if there was a great deal to be done before Easter this year. There was Easter proper, which always required new clothing of some kind, for fear of certain consequences from little birds, who were supposed to resent the impiety of those who do not wear some new article of dress on Easter-day. And most ladies considered it wiser that the little birds should see the new article for themselves, and not have to take it upon trust, as they would have to do if it were merely a pocket-handkerchief, or a petticoat, or any article of under-clothing. So piety demanded a new bonnet, or a new gown; and was barely satisfied with an Easter pair of gloves.'

......

'Mrs. Goodenough  felt herself particularly aggrieved; she had had her spectacles on for the last hour and a half, in order to be ready for the sight of the very first minute any one from the Towers appeared at the door.

      "I had a headache," she complained, "and I should have sent my money, and never stirred out o' doors to-night; for I've seen a many of these here balls, and my lord and my lady too, when they were better worth looking at nor they are now; but every one was talking of the duchess, and the duchess and her diamonds, and I thought I shouldn't like to be behindhand, and never ha' seen neither the duchess nor her diamonds; so I'm here, and coal and candlelight wasting away at home, for I told Sally to sit up for me; and, above everything, I cannot abide waste. I took it from my mother, who was such a one against waste as you never see now-a-days. She was a manager, if ever there was a one, and brought up nine children on less than any one else could do, I'll be bound. Why! She wouldn't let us be extravagant -- not even in the matter of colds. Whenever any on us had got a pretty bad cold, she took the opportunity and cut our hair; for she said, said she,  it was of no use having two colds when one would do -- and cutting of our hair was sure to give us a cold. But, for all that, I wish the duchess would come."'

 ......

'Mrs. Goodenough ... had taken a deliberate survey of the grandees at the upper end of the room, spectacles on nose, and had inquired, in no very measured voice, who everybody was, from Mr. Sheepshanks, my lord's agent, and her very good neighbor, who in vain tried to check her loud ardour for information by replying to her in whispers. But she was rather deaf as well as blind, so his low tones only brought upon him fresh inquiries. Now, satisfied as far as she could be, and on her way to departure, and the extinguishing of fire and candlelight, she stopped opposite to Mrs. Gibson, and thus addressed her by way of renewal of their former subject of conversation, --

     "Such a shabby thing for a duchess I never saw; not a bit of a diamond near her. They're none of them worth looking at except the countess, and she's always a personable woman, and not so lusty as she was. But they're not worth waiting up for till this time o' night."

      There was a moment's pause. Then Lady Harriet put her hand out, and said, --

      "You don't remember me, but I know you from having seen you at the Towers. Lady Cumnor is a good deal thinner than she was, but we hope her health is better for it."

      "It's Lady Harriet," said Mrs. Gibson to Mrs. Goodenough, in reproachful dismay.'

......

Snippets

I though y'all might be amused by a peek into a [non-serious] newspaper column my sister and I have been creating at intervals since last summer. Following are some of the more interesting tidbits - read on! ;o)

......

Happenings Of Note

A burglary was  recently interrupted on Gain Road at midnight on the 20th, when the Iker family returned home from a party to find their lower lights burning and smoke issuing from the parlor. The would-be burglar was found halfway up their enormous bookcase searching for a tome of Dr. Johnson, with a pipe clenched between his teeth. He was forthwith intercepted by Mr. Iker who caught up a large hooked rod and caught the burglar by the seat of his pants, therefore tumbling him ignominiously to the ground. Meanwhile, Mrs. Iker had called the police and stood by with a frying pan. The burglar tried to escape but she barred the way. "Get to the side, woman!" he cried. " I wouldn't like to strike a lady!" "And I," she said, "wouldn't like to strike a gentlemen. But I suppose there is no danger of that." And she brought the frying pan down, thus ending the burglar's consciousness. The police soon came and took him to prison.

......

A certain Mr. Steve Johnson labored a full four months to grow a two hundred pound pumpkin. "It's milk fed!" he proclaimed proudly as he stood to get his picture taken. Mr. Johnson is convinced that milk produces a pleasing effect on the nutrition and delicacy of the flesh. He recommends injecting the milk through a large horse needle twice daily, from the moment the pumpkin reaches two inches in diameter.

Society Column

Mrs. Merialla Grace Boomschmidt has officially lived a century and five years. She says she feels just as spry as ever and hopes she will make it to 2 hundred now.

......

Miss Hattie Le Deux, one of New York's leading ladies, married tailor Horatio Duke on June 28th, 1936, in a small private ceremony at his shop. "It was quite a surprise," said Hattie's mother, Mrs. Le Deux, wife of the late Senator Joram Le Deux. "However, Hattie has always enjoyed sewing, and I am sure they will be very happy - ahem - making clothes together."

 ......

Former governor of Maryland, the Illustrious Nicolas M. Hardy and his wife Amity, have recently moved to the city. They will reside on Hackenburg Avenue.

Advertisements

• Rooms for rent, third floor. Two rooms. New condition, both in private residences. $80 a month. Call  B9953.
•  If you need a house-sitter or someone to watch the children, call F7606. Jessi Drew, 18 years old.
• Packers Pampered Pets. Are you going on a long trip, and beside yourself wondering what to do with your pets? Call Packers Pampered Pets at A6775. 
• Capable and very good with children. Vera Baker. Call B4768. Saturdays and Mondays available.
  

......

Praiseworthy Accomplishments

Last night an exciting event occurred. One Mrs. Methuselah was walking her dog, Fifi, when the dog saw a chipmunk and dashed into the street. Fifi has made a habit of this pastime, according to Mrs. Methuselah. However on this occasion, a problem presented itself in the form of a roadster speeding towards them at a high rate. As the dog cowered in the street with Mrs. M screeching "Fifi! Come back! No, don't move! I mean do move! I mean, COME TO MAMMY!", an able-bodied young man, seeing the predicament of both lady and dog, sprinted into the road, scooped up Fifi, and heroically bounded onto Mrs. M's side of the road. He handed Fifi to Mrs. M, who cried, "Fifi, my darling! Shame on you. You didn't listen to Mammy, and now look what you did. You mussed your fur, dearest!" Then turning to the young man, she said, "Why, young man, you saved my Fifi's life! How can I ever thank you?" "No need of that ma'am," replied he. With that, he strode off.

......