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Thursday, November 25, 2021

Thursday Thoughts on Thanksgiving and Hope

Happy Thanksgiving to our American neighbours/friendsπŸ’–

It is always touching and inspiring to watch the wonder and joy of children
as the gaze at the babe in the manger...
Pray, as they grow they will never lose the wonder
but come to know the boundless hope and joy
only faith in Jesus can give!



This kind of poem is always hard
to reel in to page-size portions.
someday we will have eternity to sing it; 
no time constraints!

(this can be read as six shorter poems or one longer poem)

When earthen vaults have overflowed
With plant-to-harvest sum
When orchards and vineyards have glowed
With garnet, gold and plum
When once again the land and limb
Is culled of ripened food
Then once again we raise a hymn
Of humble gratitude
For eyes to see and hands to hold
And fold in thankful prayer
For wonders that never grow old
For strength, love’s load to bear
For hope in God’s Supremacy
Who teaches us to trust
His lifeline thrown upon a sea
Of groaning dust-to-dust

***

Upon earth’s hearth scattered with ash
Of autumn’s fallen leaves
Where days are doffed of summer’s sash
Of dusk’s long-ling’ring eves
Where seasons, like a carousel
Spin round and round and round
Where time is like a tolling bell
Where we tread holy ground
Where all we have and hold is lent
And not meant to enslave
Where not one solitary cent
Can cheer us in the grave
Where God who fills earth’s treasure trove
Where bud and seed-gems brim
Upon this hearth we lift our love
In worship-songs to Him

***

From hands bearing redemption’s scars
Where once man’s pardon poured
From hands that established the stars
Hope’s anchor is restored
For on atonement’s cruel cross
Sin’s debt of guilt was paid
By He, who saw beyond his loss
To souls that would be saved
Then, to the God of earth and sky
With selfish heart undone
May endless praise be our reply
For what His grace has won
So when we cross that Awesome Deep
The angels will applaud
For Death will be Victory’s leap
Into the Arms of God

***

Give thanks for He whose love bestows
The blessings grace employs
Where would-be mis’ry overflows
With wonder’s countless joys
No woebegone, bleak hopelessness
In spite of woes that be
But pure and utter thankfulness
For Hope through Calvary
Where horror’s darkest hour wed
With The True Light unfurled
For, from redemption’s fountain bled
Joy’s beacon to the world
And what appeared as death at first
Where hatred seemed to win
Was but the heel that crushed the cursed
And evil wage of sin

***
For fruit of faith and field we sing
With glad and grateful laud
Where the altar and offering
Will prove who is our God
Where we will never be alone
If we believe in He
Who left the glory of his throne
To die upon a tree
Who, Lord of all, suffered life’s loss
Jesus, mighty to save
Obedient, endured the cross
To overthrow the grave
And instill to this toil and strife
Soul’s goal, purposed and true
The promise of eternal life
When life on earth is through

***

*Do not despair; love’s weight of care
Is but the tender price
And in a sense, a little share
Of God’s great sacrifice
Then, when the second mile seems long
And songs are groaned and wept
God’s grace is not inept
But tunes in us the humble cry
Not I, but Christ in me
The Rock upon which we rely
Is hope’s Sufficiency
Then we will let our worship spill
Though dark the glass between
For someday, face to face God will
Unveil what is unseen

© Janet Martin

*this last stanza was written with my cousin Wayne and his family in mind.
What trial they suffer as Wayne's MS continues to try and test,
and forces them into decisions/care arrangements 
love mourns to need to make
πŸ˜’πŸ™πŸ’”

Luke 2:10-11
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid,
 for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy 
which will be to all people. 
For there is born to you this day in the city of David 
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

It's beginning to look like Christmas...πŸ˜€






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I hope you enjoyed your pause on this porch and thank-you for your visit!