I am grateful for the small and simple beauties of everyday life. I think that all that know me well know this well enough. Some may call me boring – the Lord knows that some have! Yet I don’t mind this ascription, especially when it very well may be true. I will take the charge and carry on and enjoy my book of the evening as I sit in the candlelight. I am not denying the fun that can be had in a grand adventure or the adrenaline thrill that may accompany a new experience in climes abroad. Once in a while, these have their place. But for tonight, I am thankful for the small things. Perhaps this comfort comes from the larger and greater comfort that my feet are firmly planted on the rock on which I stand and the reality of my place in a symphony that has been written long ago. And so as the music soars out against the rafters and the birds tweet along with the part they have been assigned, I nod along assured that I need not fear when I hear of wars or rumors of such things because I know that I am my God’s and He is mine. Instead I pray for strength for today and good cheer as I walk along this pilgrim path and ask for fortitude that I may remain faithful still. And I walk along the viaduct noticing the way the sunset light touches the foothills and smile to know that I need not worry that the third movement will carry along uninterrupted. Soon the climax, soon the bowstrings will in their anticipation quaver and the trumpet sound one last time. For now I’m simply grateful for this small moment in my armchair.
Tag: thoughts
Expressly Yours
I’m listening to my Enfield playlist as I sit here in Starbucks and I have to say – I forgot how amazing these songs are!!! Oh how I love so many of these classic hymns. There is a Fountain, And Can It Be?, Jesus I My Cross Have Taken, O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus…etc, etc, etc. Gorgeousness. I’m tempted to write ALL THE VERSES from one of my very favourites – Jesus, I my Cross Have Taken…but I shall spare you this time. I’m pretty sure I’ve done that sometime in the past. And I’m pretty sure I will do it again sometime in the future.
It is good to remember the mercies of the Lord.
And while I’m in a pondering mood, thought I’d write some thoughts I was thinking last night. Was wearing one of my favourite shirts – a nice bright blue shirt with the words “HONOUR”, “LOYALTY”, “VALOUR” superimposed over a lion rampant. It’s interesting that these words are (apparently) held in such high esteem and I was wondering – what do those words really signify to people today? According to the Oxford English, honour means “high respect” or “great esteem” or “the quality of knowing and doing what is morally right”. In the same, loyalty means “the quality of being loyal” or “a strong feeling of support or allegiance”. As for valour…”great courage in the face of danger, especially battle”. Do those words truly mean anything to most of us these days though…or are they just empty concepts that make us feel better about ourselves? What do we have high respect or great esteem for? Or do we just crave that esteem for ourselves? What are we truly loyal to? Or whom? And when do we show great courage these days? Is it in day-to-day life or just in the contrived fantasies of our mind?
I think we like to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and it is self-flattering to think that we exhibit these qualities of honour, loyalty and valour in our everyday lives. But do we truly? Is there a higher calling that beckons us to live in such a way? I would say there is. But it is not in the way most would commonly think. We ought to live in such a way that every action of our life brings great honour and glory to our God. We ought to live in such a way that everything we do proves our loyalty and faithfulness to our God. And we ought to live our lives coloured by valour and courage in the face of trials and tribulations and all that stands against us as we strive to please our God. Do these things come easy? Of course not. And we are frail creatures and oft exhibit the opposite virtues…we feel shamed, unfaithful and craven as we disobey our God in thought, word and deed. But. But. If we truly put our faith in Christ for our salvation – God has saved us! Not because of deeds that we have done. But because of His great love.
And so because God loved us when we were so eminently unlovable and because our God has filled us with His Holy Spirit and because Christ daily intercedes for us before the Father…now we can exhibit these qualities of godly honour, godly loyalty and godly valour. Let us remember that. We can do all things through Christ who grants us strength. Go forth this day and honour God in all things. Go forth this day and seek to be loyal to God in every word you speak. Seek to live in valour before our God. For truly, He is our Lord. He is our God. And He loves us.
What a wondrous thing it is to be known by God. We are His dearly loved children. Amen and amen.
Wind roars Over the Highlands now
Hey all – happy Friday! I realise this is an odd time for me to post an update. But you won’t be surprised when I say where I’m writing this from…Starbucks! I’m meeting someone in about half an hour and this Starbucks is a very convenient place to wait at…so I simply couldn’t resist. Something else I just couldn’t resist was a hot chocolate. Even though it is approximately 90 degrees outside. I don’t care. It is creamy and chocolaty and delicious. And now it is mine.
In other news…I have been thinking about how I really am not a fan of the proliferation and prominence of social media these days. There are definitely some positive uses of online social spaces, but as I gaze into the void that is social networks(whether it be the facebook, the twitter, the tumblr, the instagram, the snapchat, the etc, etc, etc….), it seems the main goal and purpose is to project yourself into that void and indeed, to promote the idealized image of yourself. Of course I can understand the allure of presenting yourself in the most flattering of surreal light…indeed, I’m not always happy with my “real” self either, nay – may it never be! But too often, these online forums are used as mechanisms for propping oneself up atop the bones of all others. Our arrogance and pride is such that every action we take in the hyper-glare of the net is taken with the end goal of self love above all. And that self love comes in so many different forms…depending on the user’s preferred image to project to the audience…world-weary ideologue, earth-loving naturalist, quirky free-loving spirit, hyper attention-seeking adventurer, sarcastic filter-shunning individualist. There is a space for all and for all there is space. And each user feels self-righteously good about who they are…except for those who don’t. For there are those that drown in the maelstrom of lies and deceit, yet they too long to achieve a modicum of normalcy and so they too strive to be known – even if it is only as a depressed soul. And my time is quickly spinning away. I will write more at a later day. But for now, it is fascinating and not at all surprising – we all long to be known. And so these new media? That is what we use them for – to project the song of ourselves to the world. And we consume the songs of all others and out of these songs we revel and we despair and we are desperately, exceedingly envious. Are we now entertained? Oh so superficial. Oh humanity. We dance and sing in the marketplace, fearing to look to the sky.
Standing at the Prow
So once again it is Friday morning…hello all!! I only have moments before I need to start work in earnest, but thought I’d write a few words -just because! I really meant to write something a bit more substantial about humility, contentedness, thankfulness and the wonders of God’s love for us, His children…but you will just have to imagine I did that now. I think I just wanted to say how sometimes it is quite easy for us to complain about our current state of affairs and wonder why God allows certain things to happen in our lives. So easy, right? Yet I realize that God is refining me, making me more like Him. And that is truly what I desire, is it not? I may wonder how much humility I really need – apparently much more than most people! – woe unto me for my pride. Yet I am grateful to my God for caring for me as a son – for disciplining me and keeping me humble before Him. Again – one thing do I long for – to be more like Christ and to honour my God in all that I do. It would be useful for me to think less of myself and more of my God. May I remember this. And may I be oh so thankful for the gift of eternal life that has been given to me, a sinner. Do I deserve such blessings? Surely not. Yet God of His own good pleasure deemed it good to bless me so. Oh wondrous joy – a vista of unending beauty is mine forever!
Now pardon this ill-structured paragraph…maybe later I shall write more. Maybe not. For now, my hand waves farewell. My heart calms. My soul is at peace.
