Dear Lucy...Traces

Yesterday I received a pretty card in the mail

from a dear lady Lucy loved, and who loved Lucy

and we met after her death though I felt like I knew her a little

already through Lucy. 

Thank-you M💕

 I have a number of  new

'Lucy-friends' special in ways I could never have imagined;

Priceless traces of a beautiful life!

Job 7:9-10

9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
    so one who goes down to the grave does not return.
10 He will never come to his house again;
    his place will know him no more.

The above verses impress me like never before,

esp. when I drop in at Lucy's place.

Her girls and husband valiantly

perform the domestic duties of home

and things are still neat and tidy

but their place will never again know Lucy's presence

save in tender traces everywhere.

While I was there the other day watching her grandsons while

Granddaughter went to the dentist I puttered about

 sweeping corners where the wind had blown in some debris,

watering planters etc.

'why are you doing this? queried her oldest grandson 

as I swept in front of an ornamental door...

 and I replied

'I'm sweeping the dirt away, just in case Grammy is watching' 

and we waved up, up

to the big yellow and blue sky

 and shouted 'hi'

and he laughed 

and I cried. 

'and' continued her Grandson turning back to the door,

'what is this door even for?!!'

Then I laughed out loud!

How like many males in my life he sounded;

What is the point of a door that doesn't open and leads nowhere 😂😂😂

(It turned out it inspired play-restaurant as he served me

every favourite food I could think of!)

I miss laughing with Lucy till we cried

over things impossible to explain afterward.

I miss sharing prayer-cares, recipes, gardening joys and tips,

a quick 'cuppa' or hearing her rattle off a poem or a quote 

because her memory was amazing!

Her place is filled with traces of loving care

and many have spilled over to my place too.

Last year she brought me a few plants.

Honeysuckle   

and Dipladenia...

 

Beautiful traces of her love for growing things.

This poem was also inspired in  part by something shared

on my friend's FB memory yesterday ...

(the kind of writing Lucy loved and lived)

“There is a beauty in the fragility of life,

a sweetness to be savored in its fleeting moments of joy.

For it is in the rawness of our experiences,

both the joyful and the sorrowful,

that we truly come alive.

We are not meant to shield ourselves from the pain of life,

but to embrace it fully, to let it shape us, to teach us,

to make us more human.

So do not be afraid to love,

to open your heart to the world,

even if it means risking heartbreak.

For the sweetness of love far outweighs the bitterness of loss.

And when the inevitable pain comes,

find solace in the beauty of the world around you,

in the simple pleasures of life,

in the memories of love and laughter.

For even in the midst of sorrow,

there is still beauty to be found.”

—Louise Erdrich

'For the sweetness of love far outweighs the bitterness of loss. '

Yes.

So on we go, cherishing and considering the bittersweet worth of traces

either forever left behind or being forever left behind!

So worth the joy of love

So worth the air we trace

That teems with tender flickers of

A bygone time and face

So worth the letting go

With tears farewell imparts

To trace the sweetness of hello

That echoes in our hearts

So worth the picture book

That wafts upon the breeze

Where oft we pause to trace the crook

Of precious memories

So worth each tender trace

Love scattered in life’s wake

While we discover ‘all is grace’

While our broken hearts ache

So worth the parting kiss

As Time's 'never enough' 

Begins to teach us sorrow is

So worth the joy of love

...so worth the tears that flow

And God gathers in jars

To trace the night with their halo 

(I think we call them stars) 

© Janet Martin

Ps.56:8

You number my wanderings; 

Put my tears into Your bottle; 

Are they not in Your book?

Our Sorrow Comes As No Surprise...

 

The benchmark of obedience reveals the hallmark of faith~

Prov.3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.[a]

Today's post is inspired in part as I am reading the book of Job

and in part by a recent devotion...

Our sorrow comes as no surprise to He who works for our good

What appears is a brief disguise for purposes misunderstood

To trust the Lord with all our heart rather than lean on mortal ken

Requires yielding every part; heart, soul and mind to Him. Amen

God does not fret when faith is vexed with logic stripped of theory

Our well-laid plan is oft perplexed, if but to test humility

Woe’s merit oft veiled at first glance; the pain of loss oft misconstrued

As passion earns faith’s meeker stance and learns love’s deeper gratitude

This world is full of trouble sore; some barely touched, some crushed, it seems

Without fail, death levels the score of life’s temporal field of dreams

It cuts position down to size where no disguise can thwart its ways

And often takes us by surprise but not to God who numbers days

He has prepared a dwelling place for every person that repents

He cheers faith onward as we face the learning/leaning curves of Providence

He helps us as we suffer long, obeying without compromise 

‘When I am weak then am I strong' at last pride's broken spirit cries 

The thoroughfare for faith is forged from broken pieces held to God

When sight is no longer engorged with this world's promiscuous laud

But content with God's no or yes, faith does not fret with futile whys

But focuses on promises no circumstance takes by surprise 

© Janet Martin

Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, 

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors

 through Him who loved us.

"By Faith" from Praise and Harmony's Resurrecting God

 Lyrics

By faith we see the hand of God

In the light of creation's grand design

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness

Who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth

With the power of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God's own hand

A place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day

When the longed-for Messiah would appear

With the pow'r to break the chains of sin and death

And rise triumphant from the grave

By faith the church was called to go

In the pow'r of the Spirit to the lost

To deliver captives and to preach good news

In every corner of the earth

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith this mountain shall be moved

And the power of the gospel shall prevail

For we know in Christ all things are possible

For all who call upon His name

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

Oh, we will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Keith Getty / Stuart Townend / Kristyn Getty

Sometimes, Only When We're Broken...

Until we come to God without any agenda but  'Thy will be done',

comfort cannot begin...

There is nothing like assembling at a graveside

to stir hearts to set priorities into proper perspective...

Much prayerful reflection and contemplation today,

following Cliff's funeral yesterday...

Cliff mentioned HERE

Sometimes sad failure tries to fool me into thinking all is lost

Sometimes love's sorrow comes to school me in lessons I do not want

Sometimes unknowns could make me tremble like a little leaf, wind-tossed

Because impending storms assemble; till I hear above fear's taunt

'Come'

Sometimes, when looking back at struggles, at 'faith's substance' scarred and bent  

Sometimes its weathered tears and troubles forge a gladder countenance 

Because the heart has grown more tender through love's groaning lessons lent

Wakening a once Thoughtless/thankless Spender to Mercy's extravagance 

'Come' 

Fresh courage commits to be braver in the aftermath of loss

Desire's goals seem to grow graver in the shadow of Time's lease 

And dread, that Noose to joy and laughter pales beneath love's suffered cross

 The gentle, scarred Hands of the Grafter, entitles His Masterpiece

'Come' 

Sometimes a tempest-ravaged garden seems a picture of despair 

Where painful pruning veils the guerdon; because such is faith's veneer 

Hark! a sweet, sweet word is spoken like an answer to all prayer

And sometimes, only when we're broken are we still enough to hear 

'Come'

Sometimes, then in the bowed beholding, at a graveside's solemn pose 

As we witness the final folding of dust-to-dust's snuffed façade 

Sometimes then, far from the mad hunger for plunder that death foregoes  

We can hear the silence thunder with the loving voice of God 

'Come' 

Janet Martin 💔🙏

Matt.11:28-29

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; 

for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 

Matt.14:22-33

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship,

 and to go before him unto the other side, 

while he sent the multitudes away.

  23And when he had sent the multitudes away, 

he went up into a mountain apart to pray: 

and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

  24But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: 

for the wind was contrary.

  25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, 

walking on the sea.

  26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,

 they were troubled, saying,

 It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 

27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying,

  Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28And Peter answered him and said,

 Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 

29And he said, Come. 

And when Peter was come down out of the ship,

 he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 

30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid;

 and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 

31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him,

  O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 

33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, 

Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Come, Thou Fount of every Blessing

Come Unto Me

Come, Gracious Spirit

Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

Come to Jesus

Sometimes I Miss The Bliss of Ignorance

This post began taking shape through some very precious get togethers

 with friends of Lucy's who have now become friends of mine.

What bittersweet joy these friendships hold...(for both sides)

as we near the 7 mo. mark since she left this world for the next.

Today marks a year since this community

mourned/mourns the loss of a dear wife, mother and friend...

This poem is written

In Loving Memory of Kelly and Lucy

These photos were lovingly composed mementos from a caring friend...

 

Sometimes I miss the bliss of ignorance borne happily

Till sorrow tore the front door from the hinges of my heart

And I welcomed in strangers who were friends waiting to be

To teach me lessons about love and friendship’s priceless part/art

Sometimes, in the raw longing of remembering Her face

I fear that I would trade them all for one more sacred chance/dance

To linger without looking at the clock, in the embrace

Between hello and the farewell that Time never recants

Sometimes goodness and mercy’s Tender Shepherd steals my breath

He comforts me; and crowns my grief with joy, words cannot spell

He draws my want beyond the somber outer folds of death

(Futile to lean upon the place where last Her shadow fell)

Beyond the somber outer folds of Death, I gaze because

The bitter cup of grief when tipped is like a curtain-rise

Then, sometimes when I miss the bliss of ignorance, I pause

And thank God for the unveiling of angels in disguise 

© Janet Martin

 

 

 

Sorrow's Sweet Surprise

I came across this photo of us sisters in much care-freer childhood days...

From left to right...

Marlene, Carolyn, Cheryl, Lucy and Janet 💝

Because today marks four months since Lucy's death,

it also marks four months of God's abiding comfort and strength,

and four months of being drawn ever nearer to His

everlasting love...

I'm sharing today and tomorrow's devotion 

from the book Consolation by Mrs. Chas E. Cowman

because they minister profoundly to all who are traveling

through trouble and sorrow...

I shared the verses below on yesterday's post but I didn't 'unpack' them...

Matt. 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles,

so that we can comfort those in any trouble

with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Often in ways we would not choose

When love unfolds grief's solemn hues

We find, in sorrow's somber length

The God of all comfort and strength

Often, when disappointments test

The hopes and dreams now laid to rest

We find in sorrow's bitter tear

The God of all comfort is near

And often when (lest we despair)

We pour out broken hearts in prayer 

We find to sorrow's sweet surprise

The God of all comfort replies

We find  'no longer I, but Christ'

As hopes and dreams are sacrificed

We find, as sorrow bows the head 

The God of all comfort instead 

Whose compassion is new each morn

Who comforts mourners, sorrow-worn

Through troubles we would never choose

God ministers with Heaven's hues

© Janet Martin 

And a BIG P.S.

Prayer updates!

Remember the people you prayed for HERE

and HERE?

Our friends had a wonderful trip in spite of the initial disappointment;

not as originally planned but in place of original plans 💖🙏

...and thanks be to God,

 the family who was looking for a home has found one!

Thank-you all for your help and prayers!

Like Raindrops on a Garden

Roses in waiting...

A few glimpses at today's inspiration

Thanks to devotions from the book Consolation

 mentioned HERE

Matt. 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 

 who comforts us in all our troubles, 

so that we can comfort those in any trouble 

with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

***

Forbid sorrow's tears should harden the plot where thought's power flows

But like raindrops on a garden, let it grow compassion's rose

Let their sacred torrent soften the places not tender yet

Let it seep to deeps that often we ignore, secrete, forget 

Forbid grief to blind perception as love's bitter dregs we taste

Or to wallow in depression like a garden laid to waste

But to shoulder sorrow's anguish like a soldier of the cross

Rather than flounder or languish in a labyrinth of loss

Forbid sorrow's reason reckons, only earth-side's view, so dim

Never hearing He who beckons mourners to call/fall upon Him

Never growing in Grief's Garden anything but hopeless gloom

Letting sorrow's teardrops harden the plot where roses would/could/should bloom 

Our Father, up in Heaven, hallowed be Thy perfect Name

Pray, through sorrow we are driven to the One from whence we came

Pray, through grief our eyes are opened to Time's Very Fleeting Nod

Till our grip on earth is loosened by a tighter hold on God 

Who can understand our suff'ring better than God, rich in love 

He who through Sin's Final off'ring left no merit yet to prove 

 He who purchased our pardon and bore sorrow's climax knows

Tears, like raindrops on a garden, are but watering Love's Rose  

© Janet Martin 

Also inspired by today's Daily Bread devotion HERE 

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross - Fernando Ortega

I Am Thinking of You, My Dear Lucy

Sister Mine...a treasure gifted to me from my youngest sister

There are no celebrations planned with others tonight

because many of 'us' that had planned to get together 

are under the weather, either with flu-bug or cold bug.

Mine was fever, achy bone but has turned into a cold.

Tonight I am reflecting on many a conversation Lucy and I had

on how we shared a sense of foreboding on New Year's Eve 

about who would not be here 'next year'.

Aren't you glad we don't know what lies in store

and aren't you thankful God is a faithful comforter if we lean on Him?!

(Below, glimpse of a card my oldest sister gave me on Saturday)

***

I am thinking of you, my dear Lucy

Passed beyond fond pleasure of sight

Where oft on the stroke of the New Year

Our eyes and our hearts would unite

In kindred and soulful reflection

As wondering what waits to be

Would meld minds in mutual connection

Of life's vulnerability

I am thinking of you, my dear Lucy

In the land where no  hours chime 

Where no sickness, pain or grief enters

Free from bonds and bearings of Time

How things we once dreaded, yet treasured

That come with accruing of age

Are gone for you, no longer measured

By sight's oh-so-fallible gauge

I am thinking of you, my dear Lucy

How I miss our chatter and fuss

A blending and clashing arrangement

Composing the music of 'us'

And though many comfort and bless me

(For their kind hearts are broken too)

I can't help but fill a bit empty

This New Year's Eve, without you

I am thinking of you, my dear Lucy

And cherish like never before

The dances we shared as life's music

Played a most precious repertoire 

Of highs and lows, flying and falling

While honing quadrilles in my heart

Till it seems I can hear you soft-calling 

'Forever, yet never apart'

© Janet Martin

When Love's Fresh Waves of Sorrow Roll...

As soon as I shift my gaze from the 'joy still set before', sorrow is too hard to bear.

As soon as I forget the Hope Christ came to earth to restore, Grief would drive me to despair

But as I think upon the goodness and mercy of One who suffered in all ways, as we

Sorrow, hope-stunned becomes the humble partaker of Love's Divine Sympathy 

Seems without trouble, sickness and sorrow

How often would haste the day

Filled with hopes and dreams of tomorrow

With never a thought to (truly, humbly) pray

The other day my friend who also owns this book

Every Moment Holy,  mentioned HERE

drew my attention to these pages...

(I could have highlighted every line!)

So many thoughtful friends send messages of sympathy and prayer,

stunning my broken heart with hope and joy

Thank-you to everyone who has helped introduce my heart

to fresh waves of inexpressible joy...

When love's fresh waves of sorrow roll

With renewed force, through heart and soul

When tug of warring thoughts compete

Between the bitter and the sweet

When worlds of retrospect replay

The words we wish we still could say

When 'missing you' becomes a prayer

Of tears that we can hardly bear

When anguish like a vortex, reels

Through rooms, one cannot see, but feels

When ragged longing dearly yearns

For that which death never returns

When we wonder what we can do

To reconcile love's 'missing you'

God, who is merciful and kind

Bids us to come to Him and find

His comfort for Want, sorrow-torn/worn

His promises bless those who mourn

When love's fresh waves of grief deploy

God's hope alone stuns grief with joy 

He ministers His perfect peace

As humble, fervent prayers increase

As sorrow's searing tempests toll

He counts the teardrops of the soul

And ushers into love's embrace

Hope's hallowed glimpses of His face

Heaven on earth is undeterred

And mountains moved through a kind word

And faith, frayed, wounded is made whole 

When love's fresh waves of sorrow roll 

  © Janet Martin

 

1 Pet.1:3-9 BSB

This first week of advent we meditate on hope...

Re-sharing a treasured passage of scripture

A Living Hope

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

By His great mercy He has given us new birthb into a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4and into an inheritance that is imperishable,

undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

5who through faith are shielded by God’s power

for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6In this you greatly rejoice,

though now for a little while you may

 have had to suffer grief in various trials

7so that the proven character of your faith—

more precious than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire—

may result in praise, glory, and honor

 at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

8Though you have not seen Him, you love Him;

and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him

and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

9now that you are receiving the goal of your faith,

the salvation of your souls.

The Piano Guys - The Sweetest Gift (ft. Craig Aven) (Official Video)

(for my dear, sweet sister Lucy)