Joy Is Like the Rain

At the beautiful memorial service on Sunday for Mrs. S (see previous post) her family sang this song. I had never heard it before so I came home and found this version on Utube and thought I would share. It is a beautiful old song describing joy. Mrs. S had great joy despite great physical suffering and pain. An example we can all learn from as we walk this life.

Hope and the best chocolate cake ever

As a shy 15 year old I was hesitant to go to my first Sunday School class at our new church.  I was glad that my brother was with me as we walked into the little room.  We were greeted by a sweet lady with snow white hair and a box full of puppets!  Mrs. S (as she told us to call her) had a firm hand and beautiful spirit.   We spend Sunday School hour reading through Proverbs and practicing puppet skits and songs.  Sometimes we would practice puppets on a Saturday and Mrs. S would make sloppy joes and chocolate cake with delicious icing for lunch.  Through the years Mrs. S had a lot of influence on my heart and development into a young lady.  I knew that she suffered from chronic health afflictions, yet she was always ready to ask about how I was doing - the focus was never on herself.   Her deep faith in God through the suffering she endured (which included loss of a leg due to diabetes) was a testimony to everyone who knew her.  As our Pastor's wife the sermon she gave just by how she lived was beautiful.  On our wedding day she was there and I found her in the crowd and we hugged before my Farmer Boy and I took off on our honeymoon (she said it was about time that he married me!)  She said our wedding was the most beautiful she and her husband had ever seen.  I remember the last time they had us over to their house - she baked a delicious poppy seed chicken dish and her house was spotless and decorated so beautifully as always.  I always admired the wonderful housewife she was (she had 7 children just like my mama!)  and the sweet relationship Pastor Dave and Mrs. S had - faithfully married all those years. 

Yesterday morning Mrs. S went to heaven.  My heart is grieved deeply for the loss her family has suffered - she will be greatly missed.  But I am also rejoicing that Mrs. S is seeing our Savior face to face in a place with no more pain where she is whole and healed.   The Bible says that we grieve when someone we love has passed away - but not as those who have no hope. 

I've been thinking a lot about hope lately.  We use the word hope more like a wish: "I hope Santa brings me a new car for Christmas", " I hope I don't catch that cold bug" ... but the Bible uses the word hope much differently.  It is a confident expectation.  A CONFIDENT EXPECTATION.  The confidence is because Jesus Christ (fully God putting on human flesh to save us) came as a baby so many years ago and then died for our sins (and raised from the dead!) so that we might live in heaven with Him forever.  He took away the deep hopelessness of death and replaced it with confidence and joy.  Yes, we grieve.  What I would give to see Mrs. S again.  But we also have hope.  Hope that those who believe will see her again in heaven someday.   Hope does not disappoint. 

I wonder if Mrs. S will be making chocolate cake in heaven - serving others as she always has. 

IF

My Grammie and Daddy have instilled in me a deep deep love of poetry.  My youngest brother memorized this one and when he recited it I got teary eyed.  The words are so good and so many good character traits to pray for and strive to embody.   It's far too easy for people to make excuses because of their area of suffering whatever it may be - and I want to always fight against that selfish mentality.  Just because someone is in physical pain, or emotional pain, financial suffering, relational problems .. whatever kind of suffering (and everyone has some kind of pain in their life) doesn't mean that they get the "right" to not aim high in life and in character.  There are always going to be different struggles that we all have to overcome, but we can overcome day by day through the grace of God!  Be encouraged and even though it may be hard - it is worth it to reach for a good goal ... I am in the process of memorizing this poem and am through the first section in 2 days!!   The hardest line so far has been: "If you can wait and not be tired by waiting" ... I'm working on that one.

IF

you can keep your head when all about you


Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;



If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;

If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same:.

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;



If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings,

And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"



If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling