Thy saints are comforted, I know,
And love Thy house of prayer;
I therefore go where others go,
But find no comfort there.
Oh make this heart rejoice, or ache;
Decide this doubt for me;
And if it be not broken, break,
And heal it, if it be.
~WILLIAM COWPER (English, 1731-1800)
As you walk into the weekend, may He hale a cab for you before you give up, lay crumbs of certainty when you lose your way, embrace you with a warm hug from a fellow pilgrim. And when the sign creaks, swinging in the chilly howl of night air, may the sound be a reminder that he is with you. He is faithful. Always.
Thanking God for each of you. Welcome to the Weekend Friends!
Shelly, surely this is one of those lovely little British parish churches which you saw on your English sojourn. It’s unimaginable that hymnist William Cowpers attempted suicide three times! Truly, the sovereign Lord went ahead of him and neither failed nor abandoned him! I pray that the Lord hails a cab for each of us to joing the particular church family of His chosing. He bids us worship together, where we are strengthened in our faith, uplifted in our spirits, and edified in our minds through the preaching of His Word. He promises where two or three are gathered to be in our midst. Bless you this Sunday, Shelly, and I am praying for healing for your heart during this difficult break and that God would lead you to your new church home. Love, Lynn
Oh my goodness, I didn’t know that about him Lynn. You are such a wealth of knowledge. And it is a church in England at Muncaster Castle where we visited in May. It’s so lovely there, I was dreaming of being there today. Thank you Lynn. I am in a period of grief with great expectancy about the future. I know He is has plans for us and they are good.
Yes, unbelievalbe, isn’t it, SHelly, about Cowpers?! Oh, your future will be bright, sweet Shelly. Cling fast to Him. Here is a link to a story about one of Cowper’s potential suicides. You can read in the words of the hymn how, indeed, God *does* move in mysterious ways, even through our depression or the “death” of relationships, as in a church, to weave afresh the bright designs of His providential, sovereign will. You are looking now at the tangled, darkened underside of the tapestry. Let Him weave your woes for good. One day, you will turn it over, aright, and behold with breathtaking amazement the brightest of threads, depicting a pastoral scene of delight, much like the English church photo you captured. God, your Interpreter, will make things plain (why all this suffering now), and He will sign your tapestry in the center with the image of His smiling face. (See words of “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” for my allusions). http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/m/gmovesmw.htm
You are so right: He has good plans for you. I”m praying! Love, Lynn
A beautiful post, Shelly. Thank you.
Thanks Susan.
“May He hail a cab before you give up.” That made me smile. Cowper’s words are lovely, and so are yours, and the photos are stunning. Praying for you, my friend.
Such a wonderful and comforting post! I won’t say that I know exactly what you are going through but after reading your post the other day and being a pastor’s wife I can tell you that I may understand your grief. Some of the hardest trials I have gone through in that capacity brought the the most growth and beauty into my life. I trust and pray that God will do the same for you.
oh yes … these are moving photos. thank you for inspiration!
Shelly, your comment yesterday about God using me to touch you made me think about how often that happens that we do not recognize. I’m so sorry that you’re going through this turmoil right now, but the clouds and rain make us really appreciate the sunny days ahead! (That’s what I keep reminding myself!!) So, here’s a “warm hug from a pilgrim”, and praying that you see the doors, and sometimes windows, that are sure to open up for you! Enjoy your weekend!
*Sigh…* Beautiful, sweet friend!
Can’t wait to “meet” you in a few short months:)
Great encouragement here, Shelly. Really just what I needed tonight. Thank you, sweet friend. All around, you bless! Xo
Lay up crumbs of certainty…that’s my favorite part.
“…the saints are comforted…love your house of prayer” – Love aging churches with steeples still courageously raised high
I needed this, a hug from a fellow pilgrim. Thanks, friend.
It is gorgeous… both photos and words. One thing that always jumps out at me re: Cowper is his dangerous mental issues and how he would find a time of healing and write the poems and hymns … and then fall back again. In our day and age, some healing might have occurred. But, if nothing else, he is well-healed now and forever. Thank you for sharing so beautifully. [I was on the road most of the time for 3 weeks and didn’t have a chance to see Sandra or Deidra’s lovely posts and have missed you and the others.]
Oh, love those images of that last paragraph – thank you for the comforting words!
This is just beautiful…
Blessings to you…♥
Lovely photography and beautiful truth shared here, as always.
This is beautiful! Thank you so much for this encouragement! These pictures are incredible.
Thanks Kelsea, I loved visiting that place.
Needing that verse, and the two posts after it.
Our leaves are just now turning, and I’m thinking of turning and letting go. So unsure.
Praying for clarity about when to let go Megan. It’s all in timing isn’t it? Even God knows when its time for each leaf to let go.