[Faith-talk] Good Night Message for Sunday, July 22 2012

[Paul]

Hello and good day to you all, and a great big hello to the latest person to join this list.  If you don't wish to receive these nightly good night messages, just let me know and I'll remove you from this list.  This is only for the latest person to receive them.

How was your day today? Mine was good, as far as good is concerned.  Next Sunday, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, the undersigned is either going to another brick-and-mortar church locally or, in what I like to call a transition period, attend an exclusive online church.  So please pray that the Lord lead me in what to do in this area.  Thanks in advance.

Grace Phillips Davis from Eckley CO contributed today's poem, really in the form of a story.  Entitled "God Answered Mother's Prayers," it is rendered as follows:

The greatest sorrow my mother had
Came when nine years old was I.
I had an attack of measles,
And my fever mounted high.
But Mother nursed me faithfully;
She was always very kind,
And after sometime the fever left,
But her poor little girl was blind.

I shall never forget how earnestly
Mother prayed for me every day,
That God would restore my vision.
It seems I can still hear her pray.

In those times, our home was lighted at night
With a kerosene lamp
Whose light was kept bright
By shining the chimney
And trimming the wick,
And Mother was careful that this was done right.

In the daytime this lamp was kept on a shelf,
But at lamplighting time it was always set down
On the kitchen table by Mother herself,
And then we children gathered around.

One morning before it was placed on the shelf,
As I was playing about by myself,
It seemed to me that I could see the chimney
Between the window and me.

I went forward, eager with outstretched hands
To make sure, and grasped it with both my hands.
"Oh Mother!" I cried in glee,
"I can see!"
She quickly came in and fell on her knees.
"Oh God, I do thank Thee for answering my prayer."
And then to the bedroom she quickly repaired and partially darkened it.
There I was kept,
And we were so happy
Both of us wept.
Very gradually then, my vision returned,
And when the school opened next fall,
I was able to go with my sister
And enter again learning's hall.

And then, in due time
Were both graduated,
And our dear little Mother
Was very elated.
And after that we both began teaching.
In this field, good can be
Very far-reaching.

And now my memory has painted with truth
Some scenes of the past.
Our memories should make our lives sweeter
And golden indeed to the last.
And thus as I look backward
Fondest thought in my memory stays
Of the dear Christian mother who taught me to love God
In His merciful ways.

I have now grown old
And I know that the sunset of life is near.
I look backward, free from regret
And forward free from fear.
My earthly sight is now failing again,
But I look for the heavenly dawn
When the blind shall see and the deaf shall hear
And all other troubles are gone.

Wow, ut I sure would have liked to have known Mrs. Davis.  Oh well, not in this life but definitely in the hereafter.  How about you readers?

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, throughout this night or day and especially in these last evil days in which we live.  Your Christian brother, Paul