It doesn’t take much effort looking around my little corner of the world to know that life sucks. Hearts are broken, people die, wombs are closed, disappointments abound. And yet, we see glimpses of glory: fierce and sacrificial love, new babies born and baptized, friendship, wine, laughter. And it reminds me of a hymn, a hymn I used to not like very much, because I only really considered the first verse or two, and I find them a little uninteresting.
This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.
This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.â€
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.
This is my Father’s world, should my heart be e’er sad?
The Lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.
This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.
I really like this, except for the first line of the second to last verse, I think it’s perfectly okay, actually really good, to be sad sometimes. “Blessed are the ones who mourn” after all, and it’s just slimy strange when something really terrible happens to someone and they declare “God works all things together for good!” with a smile.
But overall, I like the perspective this hymn brings, the reminder that we’ve got something to hope for, and the brokenness of life is not the end. And it gives me the freedom to rejoice at the everyday graces of life without guilt, because truly, we’re going to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
This is one of the hymns that I chose for us to sing at our wedding (I’m Sweetpea’s husband). One of my favorite lines: “In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass/ He speaks to me everywhere.” Another: “Though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”
Sounds like you need a hug.
((Kristen))
“it’s just slimy strange when something really terrible happens to someone and they declare “God works all things together for good!†with a smile.”
What a marvelous sentence, Kristen! I wholeheartedly agree. After my mom died my father gathered us around and said, “We will show the world how Christians grieve.” The message he conveyed to my 10 year old heart was that we shouldn’t cry because Christ conquered death.
Rubbish! The Bible is chock full of outpourings of grief. Of course we have hope, but there is a season for everything, including a time to mourn and be sad.
And there are many things worth mourning over besides death.
Right on, Kristen and Oregonian Carol. Denial of grief only shows the world how crazy Christians are! The same God who created us understands our need to mourn.
I love that hymn too. Thinking of you…