Friday, March 4, 2016

Sometimes these musings are all about our travels, and sometimes they have little to do with that topic. Today will be a the second of these.

Johnny and I have been reading daily from a Lenten devotional guide that we picked up in one of the churches where we visited. I have to say that we haven't found the offerings particularly inspiring, but due to our limited choices, we have continued. And then a few days ago this appeared as the focus at the top of the page:
"Let nothing disturb thee. Let nothing dismay thee. All things pass. God never changes."
St. Teresa of Avila
This is actually only a portion of this prayer poem. In it's entirety it reads as follows:

Let nothing disturb thee.
Let nothing dismay thee.
All things pass.
God never changes.
Patience attains all that it strives for.
He who has God,
Finds he lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.

At some time in my middle childhood, a copy of this appeared in our kitchen. As she often did when she found something inspiring, Mother had clipped it from a publication to keep. It remained in that kitchen and the next one for as long as she lived. There were many, many things in my mother's life that could have caused disturbance and dismay. She lost two brothers to suicide, her beloved mother died while still in her middle years, she and Daddy lost two sons to untimely, tragic deaths. and she suffered many physical ailments. She always said that living to be over ninety was a mixed blessing because you not only experienced much joy and pleasure in life, but also much pain and loss. She survived all of her siblings, countless other friends and family, and even Daddy, though only by a few short weeks.
If you should ask anyone who knew my mother to describe her, the same words would occur over and over. Words such as strength, faithfulness, loyalty, honesty, compassion and courage. But, if you had asked her to describe her life, her answer would have reflected the heart of this poem. And surely she would have told you that through all the joys and sorrows, God had been constantly in her heart.

Suddenly when this excerpt appeared before me, my complacent, even lackadaisical, reading of these devotional messages took a distinct turn. As the words reminded me of my mother's faith, I again asked God to open my eyes and my heart to what I can be and do to serve his purpose in the world. Do you just love these little touches with the Divine?