Hope's Sublimity or Recognizing The Comforter

A friend sent me these verses last night to encourage me

and help me guard against despair...

2 Cor.4:8-9 NIV

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; 

perplexed, but not in despair; 

 persecuted, but not abandoned; 

struck down, but not destroyed...

Thank-you Lord!

Thank-you, as you rend night's curtain

 Whatever today commands

Your hope lets Faith know for certain

That we are in perfect Hands 

A prayer to begin a new week...

While I am learning how to love You, Lord, the way I ought

How to be a reflection  of the love that Your love taught

How not to think more highly of Self than I should, instead

To live with more awareness of the life-blood that You shed

Then, to be much more thankful for the hope Your pardon sealed

While I am learning hope's bedrock; by your wounds I am healed 

Have mercy, Lord, while I am learning hope's sublimity; 

If you kept record of my sin, how hopeless hope would be...

© Janet Martin

Hope is grief's Healer

In Christ's wounds whereby we are healed, 

Hope is manifested.

Here we find the tangibility of these truths

Ps.147:3

He heals the brokenhearted 

and binds up their wounds.

Ps.34:18

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, 

And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Isa.53:5

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

 he was crushed for our iniquities;

 the punishment that brought us peace was on him, 

and by his wounds we are healed.

Before Jesus was crucified, resurrected and ascended He promised this;

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit-John 14:15-18

(Joel 2:28-32; John 16:5-16; Acts 2:1-13; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 19:1-7)

15If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,

that he may abide with you for ever;

17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,

because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:

but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you...

You Are Mine- David Haas 

Sorrow-School

Today I spent an afternoon with two of Lucy's friends,

(one I knew by name only, the same way she knew me,)

and we shared our love for Lucy midst laughter and tears.

This week my heart was torn every which way but loose...

so many beautiful people from near and far

touched my life with visits, texts, messages, flowers,

phone calls, cards, songs, treats, meals, hugs and prayers

The beautiful outpouring of sympathy and comfort

brings to sorrow, joy 💔🙏

Meanwhile, I am struck anew by the circle of life...

While we mourn, babies are born.

Let's take none of it for granted!

I shared this song awhile ago but it deserves a re-listen...

Cycle of Life Amos Raber (featuring Conrad Fisher)

We cannot brush grief’s ache away like a stray lock of hair

No words exist that can allay the angst that love must bear

But as we mourn we learn of joys through loss alone unfurled

How Sorrow raises Comforters from all across the world

How, hope is like an angel that we glimpse in friendships sweet

How love, though bruised and battered does not succumb to defeat

How life is worth the living, even with love’s scars we earn

How in the taking God is always giving in return

How, if He asked, we would refuse what Reason holds at bay

While lessons we would never choose steal our breath away

With love, unhindered by façades we too often employ   

As students in the School of Sorrow are surprised by joy

© Janet Martin

Here are a few songs that cheered me on this week,

shared by thoughtful friends 

Made For More Josh Baldwin  (feat. Jenn Johnson)

Abide With Me -Audrey Assad 

Courage's Crux

Sometimes in the morning I feel a bit like a turtle, 

as I emerge from my 'shell' of cozy covers

to hit snooze, then retreat back beneath blanket-oblivion,

 until finally Truth, in this case, aka Morning, 

prods me into motion and I trundle to the kitchen

 to 'pour myself a cup of ambition'...🎜🎝

...because no matter how I ignore, deny or pretend,

Truth abides. 

It is unaffected by Denial's mayhem of confusion

pride's boldness/boastfulness of rebellion

doubt's folly of rejection, 

and Disregard's lack of reverent fear

Truth is a solid foundation 

in the shifting tide of seasons, opinions and generations.

It anchors wisdom's disciplines

It corrects erring thought.

It exposes deception

It is the Belt that secures

the breastplate of righteousness

Eph.6:14

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,

with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

John 17:17

Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth.

John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. 

We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son

 from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:17

For the law was given through Moses;

 grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

So, all this to say

Rise and shine!!

 because...

It is not for nothing, no!

By God's grace and truth we go

Faith is not some futile fling

Nor we, puppets on a string

God, who is First in command

Guides us by His nail-scarred Hand

His Word girds both aged and youth

 With trustworthy, timeless Truth

Truth, to fit us for the strife

Through the highs and lows of life

Foolish to doubt or dispute

What God said IS Absolute

No matter what waits to be

Truth is faith's divine decree

Steadfast in Want's constant flux

Is the kind Creator's crux 

Able to withstand the tow

Stable in time's ebb and flow

Stronger than opposing tides

The Word-rooted Truth abides

It is not for nothing then

Courage is renewed, amen

Fit to fight faith's cunning foe 

By God's grace and truth we go

© Janet Martin

Momentous Memento

I helped to clean out Lucy's gardens yesterday...

(photos shared by permission)

While we collected flower seeds...

...picked her pears (how she loved these beauties!!)

 ...sailed through the air on swings

While they (her grandchildren) pulled my hands, eager to live, laugh and love

While they called "come and see' 

...while my heart almost collapsed within me

 I suddenly sensed in the tear-drenched dirt of hurt,

the innocent planting of seeds of Hope and Joy

Dear Lucy...

there are moments, grief numbs the part that ought to smart and sting

then, like a wave it comes; the heart wails like a wounded Thing

and there are times despair could haunt love's solemn sacrifice

and almost I am tempted to want love without its price

and, there are moments I feel stripped of all I once knew well

then without warning I am gripped with the sense of a Bell

still tolling, 'neath a Hand bestowing midst bereavement, bliss

of life still overflowing with Hand to Hold, Cheek to Kiss

then, although there are moments when grief deals a crushing blow

and longing reels as echoes peal from scenes I/we cherish/ed so

then, even when it feels like grief  grants love's mean reckoning 

I sense the turning of a leaf, tearstained, but beckoning 

there are moments I could not bear, but what love cannot lose

though every dream and wish and prayer has lost its dancing shoes

there are moments that steal my breath; joy and grief intertwined

in memories that feel like death left much of you behind

Janet 💔💞

there are moments that steal my breath; joy and grief intertwined

in memories that feel like death left much of you behind

Psalm 145: 13-14&17-20

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
    and faithful in all he does.[c]
14 The Lord upholds all who fall
    and lifts up all who are bowed down....

...The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and faithful in all he does.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
    he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him,...

Flawless Outpouring...

Heb.11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

What terrible misconceptions we believe,

what deadly mistakes we make

without faith...

'Wow', I commented the other day

'even in the thick of sorrow

other cares don't take a holiday!!'

Aren't you thankful God invites us to cast our care on Him

because He cares for us?!!

1 Pet.5:7

Humble yourselves, therefore,

 under God’s mighty hand,

 so that in due time He may exalt you.

 7Cast all your anxiety on Him,

 because He cares for you.

Ps.55:22

Cast your burden on the Lord,

And He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be [b]moved.

Even in the thick of sorrow

Creature care still finds its way

We are not made for tomorrow

God is faithful...for Today

Like a song flawlessly outpoured

The heavens declare, loud and clear

The glory of our loving Lord...

Not by goodness and grace devoid

God’s evidence shouts loud and clear

To keep Hope’s Creature overjoyed

Though Teacher vexes faith’s veneer

Where often sterling Wish is tried

Lest Want protects pride’s stumbling blocks

Lest Self is not humbly denied

Lest sight, not faith is how Boast walks/talks

…while longing’s nameless legions wage

A tug of war twixt fear and trust

And we are apt to prize the cage

Rather than Soul, veiled by frail dust

Not by God’s providence bereft

Nor by His Righteous Eye ignored

From the fissure in Mercy’s cleft

Today is flawlessly outpoured

Like the Lord’s love song undeterred

Hope soars once more, on eagle’s wings

No jot or tittle of God’s Word

Forgot; faith lifts Her voice and sings

For nothing is impossible

With God; then, what more do we need

Than worship, while the miracle

Matures, within faith’s mustard seed

Like a song flawlessly outpoured

The heavens declare, loud and clear

The glory of our loving Lord

Whose favour vexes faith's veneer 

Whose mercy, flawlessly outpoured

Fills frames with faithfulness renewed

God unfailingly keeps His Word

Then sing, with joyful gratitude 

© Janet Martin

Isa. 40:28-31

(read the whole glorious chapter HERE)

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary;

His understanding is beyond searching out.

29He gives power to the faint

and increases the strength of the weak.

30Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall.

31But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength;

they will mount up with wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not faint.

Prayer Changes Things

 Autumn morning awesomeness!

Psalm 36:7

How precious is Your loving devotion, O God,

that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!

Psalm 91:4

He will cover you with His feathers;

under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.

Prayer changes things. Amen

God, with each groan we bring

Gathers us like a Mother Hen

Beneath His Shelt’ring Wing

His gentle feathers warm us when

The gales of sorrow sting

Because hope that is seen

Is not hope, we learn trust

Because a dark glass bides between

Birth and death’s sacred Must

God tries the part content to lean

On acumen of dust

Because love never fails

Because God, who IS love

Orchestrates the law that prevails

With Eternal Enough

Love wills the tempest that assails

Faith's evidence to prove

Because our great God reigns

With love beyond compare

No matter what, His grace sustains

Us through life’s creature-care

Though all else fail, still He remains

To shelter from despair

Because His word is true

Faith has no cause to fear

Because God cares for me and you

We can ‘be of good cheer’

All He has promised, He will do

Prayer draws His Promise near

Praise God, prayer changes things

Surrender’s sweet release

Beneath the feathers of His wings

Faith finds hope, joy and peace

Then, pray whatever today brings

May humble prayers increase

© Janet Martin

1 John 5:14-15

14And this is the confidence that we have before Him: 

If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 

15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask,

 we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.

Psalm 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; 

He hears their cry and saves them.

While God Works Together For Good...

Lucy's love for bikes is evident in her home décor...

Wall print 

cushion...

door-knob-bling...

Rom.8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose.

The above reference is printed on a chalk board in my sister's Lucy's kitchen,

in the wake of her death;

 a chalkboard that always held a favourite quote, 

bible verse or nugget of wisdom...

Today marks one month since her passing 💔🙏

mentioned  HERE Sorrowful blog break)

The break turned out shorter than I thought it would.

I guess poetry is how I process life...and death

Yesterday our church family, along with extended family and friends

laid to rest a dear brother, age 60, 

our care pastor, as well as a husband, dad and grandpa 

who, only a few weeks previously, was diagnosed with cancer...

'life seems a blur of tears, prayers and indescribable comfort'

I texted my sister this morning as we remembered the one month mark

of Lucy's sudden departure!

(my brother-in-law/ Lucy's husband, said,

 'it feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago')

 ...exactly!! 

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

Matt. 5:4 

Through the truth in the above verse, 

we are being incomprehensibly blessed

***

We do not understand the good that oft wears grief’s disguise

Lord, help us trust Thy hand that could have stayed the test that tries

But did not; help us yield our heart with ‘not my will but Thine’

While we behold the bitter part logic cannot define

While You work together for good the brokenness of dreams

And wills, and love misunderstood where mercy’s tide still streams

And works in ways foreign to us, oft ruled by what we see

Oh Lord, our God help us to trust the hope we have in Thee

…while you work together for good beyond most noble thought

Thy purpose, when Thy Hand that could have spared Thee, but did not

You loved, obedient to death (even death on a cross)

Then, help us, with each gifted breath to humbly suffer loss

While You work together for good this life’s troubles, oh God

Help us to not despise the rude appearance of Thy rod

But help us trust in Thee, without explanation’s demands

As we surrender every doubt into Thy nail-scarred hands

While You work together for good that which seems cruelty

While through the power of Your blood, hope abides faithfully

Through every circumstance unkind, while love and mercy pour/roar

Help us, with heart, soul, strength and mind to trust you more and more

© Janet Martin

I spend one day a week with my mother-in-law.

This afternoon while she snoozed I read through

the memories shared in this book by Lucy's friends and family,

(so touching and precious)

Until today, I just couldn't collect my thoughts enough to attempt writing anything

Today I tried...this is the last bit.

'Oh, how I miss her'

Guiltless My-My-My

Ps. 31:24

Be of good courage, 

And He shall strengthen your heart,

 All you who hope in the LORD.

I'm so thankful the above verse ministered to me yesterday

when I needed it desperately!

I'm so thankful for the constant reminders

that God will never leave me or forsake me,

but He comes to me sometimes through 

the care and compassion of fellowman,

and sometimes through His Word whispered to me!

Oh, pray we may seek to hide his Word in our hearts

to equip us for whatever today brings

I am so thankful that 'I can do all things

through Christ who strengthens me'

Phil.4:13

I was torn between writing in first person 'my'

or for every believer 'our'

I decided to make it tenderly, vulnerably and joyfully personal 

but the word 'our' can be easily substituted for 'my' as well

so we can 'rejoice in the Lord' together!

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place 

 (My Hope is Built) | Reawaken Hymns | 

 

 

My Jesus, I Love Thee

My Jesus, My Saviour - [Official Video Lyric] 

 

 My God is All I Need / My God is So Big (Live)

Because God is my help, my strength, the Savior of my soul

My Anchor, my Assurance when grief and dread’s billows roll

My Hope and my Salvation, my kind Comforter and Friend

My Cherished Consolation, my Beginning and my End

My dear Heavenly Father, my Healer when my heart breaks

My Closer-than-a-brother who never leaves or forsakes

My Light to pierce the darkness and my Wonder-fullest Praise

For His mercy and goodness that will follow, all my days

My Shepherd, my Defender, my Hunger and my Enough

My God, both fierce and tender in His everlasting love

My Courage, my Commander, my Confidence to endure

My Fortress, and my Armor and my Victory secure

My Excellent Creator, my faith’s Steadfast Cornerstone

My Faithful Mediator, my Interpreter of groan

My Heaven-intercession in my earthly-temporal

My Pardon for transgression, Love Incomprehensible

My Author and Perfecter as I walk by faith, not sight

My trustworthy Protector, my Confidante, my delight

My heart’s Ruthless Inspector, ere pride’s ruin masquerades

My all-knowing Director as each season blooms and fades

My All-in-all, All-seeing and my All-wise Counselor

The Reason for my being, my Peace in the midst of war

My Holiness, Jehovah, my Shelter, my Resting Place

My Glory-hallelujah for His all-sufficient grace

My Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow-and-Forevermore

My Joy, even in sorrow, my Captain who goes before

My Refuge, my Redeemer, my Escort through highs and lows

My Perfect Plan-frustrater, my Orchestrator of woes

My Greater-He-in-me than he that is in, of this world

He is my Might, my Majesty, my Eagle Wings unfurled

Because God IS, He sets me free from fear of death and hell

Because of His power in me I can do all things well

© Janet Martin

My Lord, I Did Not Choose You (Hymn 54)

My Help (Cometh From The Lord) - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

My Life Is In Your Hands + Sweet, Sweet Spirit: Song Session