Love Gifts (7 page)

God did not promise sun without rain,

Light without darkness or joy without pain.

He only promised strength for the day

When the darkness comes and we lose our way …

For only through sorrow do we grow more aware

That God is our refuge in times of despair,

For when we are happy and life’s bright and fair,

We often forget to kneel down in prayer …

But God seems much closer and needed much more

When trouble and sorrow stand outside our door,

For then we seek shelter in His wondrous love,

And we ask him to send us help from above …

And that is the reason we know it is true

That bright, shining hours and dark, sad ones, too,

Are part of the plan God made for each one,

And all we can pray is “Thy will be done.”

And know that you are never alone

For God is your Father and you’re one of His own.

Cheerful thoughts like sunbeams

lighten up the darkest fears,

For when the heart is happy

there’s just no time for tears,

And when the face is smiling

it’s impossible to frown,

And when you are high-spirited

you cannot feel low-down …

For the nature of our attitudes

toward circumstantial things

Determines our acceptance of

the problems that life brings,

And since fear and dread and

worry cannot help in any way,

It’s much healthier and happier

to be cheerful every day …

And if you’ll only try it,

you will find, without a doubt,

A cheerful attitude’s something

no one should be without,

For when the heart is cheerful,

it cannot be filled with fear,

And without fear, the way ahead

seems more distinct and clear,

And we realize there’s nothing

that we must face alone,

For our heavenly Father loves us,

and our problems are His own.

Take nothing for granted, for whenever you do,

The joy of enjoying is lessened for you.

For we rob our own lives much more than we know

When we fail to respond or in any way show

Our thanks for the blessings that daily are ours—

The warmth of the sun, the fragrance of flowers,

The beauty of twilight, the freshness of dawn,

The coolness of dew on a green velvet lawn,

The kind little deeds so thoughtfully done,

The favors of friends and the love that someone

Unselfishly gives us in a myriad of ways,

Expecting no payment and no words of praise.

Oh, great is our loss when we no longer find

A thankful response to things of this kind.

For the joy of enjoying and the fullness of living

Are found in the heart that is filled with thanksgiving.

O God, our help in ages past,

our hope in years to be,

Look down upon this present and

see our need of Thee …

For in this age of unrest,

with danger all around,

We need Thy hand to lead

us to a higher, safer ground.

We need Thy help and counsel

to make us more aware

That our safety and security

lie solely in Thy care,

And so we pray this Christmas

to feel Thy presence near

And for Thy all-wise guidance

throughout the coming year.

First, give us understanding,

enough to make us kind,

So we may judge all people with

our hearts and not our minds.

Then give us strength and

courage to be honorable and true,

And place our trust implicitly

in unseen things and You …

And help us when we falter

and renew our faith each day

And forgive our human errors

and hear us when we pray,

And keep us gently humble

in the greatness of Thy love

So someday we are fit to dwell

with Thee in peace above.

Trouble is something no one can escape—

Everyone has it in some form or shape.

Some people hide it way down deep inside,

Some people bear it with gallant-like pride.

Some people worry and complain of their lot,

Some people covet what they haven’t got

While others rebel and become bitter and old

With hopes that are dead and hearts that are cold …

But the wise man accepts whatever God sends,

Willing to yield like a storm-tossed tree bends,

Knowing that God never made a mistake,

So whatever He sends they are willing to take …

For trouble is part and parcel of life,

And no man can grow without struggle or strife,

And the steep hills ahead and the high mountain peaks

Afford man at last the peace that he seeks …

So blessed are the people who learn to accept

The trouble men try to escape and reject,

For in accordance we’re given great grace

And courage and faith and strength to face

The daily troubles that come to us all,

So we may learn to stand straight and tall …

For the grandeur of life is born of defeat,

For in overcoming we make life complete.

Beyond that which words can

interpret or theology explain,

The soul feels a shower of refreshment

that falls like the gentle rain

On hearts that are parched with problems

and are searching to find the way

To somehow attract God’s attention

through well-chosen words as they pray,

Not knowing that God in His wisdom

can sense all man’s worry and woe,

For there is nothing man can conceal

that God does not already know …

So kneel in prayer in His presence

and you’ll find no need to speak,

For softly in quiet communion,

God grants you the peace that you seek.

Springtime is a season of hope and joy and cheer—

There’s beauty all around us to

see and touch and hear …

So no matter how downhearted

and discouraged we may be,

New hope is born when we

behold leaves budding on a tree

For this is just God saying,

“Lift up your eyes to Me,

And the bleakness of your spirit,

like the budding springtime tree,

Will lose its wintry darkness

and your heavy heart will sing.”

For God never sends the winter

without the joy of spring.