“Top of the morning to you! Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you! We are sure “blessed” to be recipients of God’s love through Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! I trust that you are either wearing something green or singing ‘green’ songs or eating your ‘greens’ today…even if you are not Irish. I will be praying for you today, asking Father: May the road rise to meet you – The wind be always at your back – May the sunshine warm upon your face – The rains fall soft upon your fields – And until we meet again – May God hold you in the palm of His Hand. Amen.
If you will listen close, I will sing to you my witness this morning. It is the tune: “When Irish eyes are smiling”. The words I would use are: “He found me with a burden and He lifted it from me – He found me full of sorrow but He changed it into glee – When all around was darkness, He made the sun to shine – Do you wonder that I love Him and call Him friend of mine.”
While I am thinking “green” let me give you a personal prayer – it uses the tune: Londonderry Air – which we hear in the song “Danny Boy”. “If on my soul a trace of sin remaineth – If on my hands a stain may yet be seen – If one dark thought a wearied mind retaineth – O wash me, Lord, till every part be clean – For I would live that men may see thyself in me – I would in faith ascend thy holy hill – And with my thoughts in tune with thy divinity – Would learn how best to do thy holy will.”
Since Easter is just a few days away, I want to share one more song that is sung to an Irish tune – Mother Machree…just the chorus: O the charm of the cross! How I love to be there! – With the love that shines from it, what love can compare? – The seal of my ransom in Calvary I see – All my sin, O my Saviour, laid upon thee! The last two lines of the last verse go like this: “There’s a place in my heart which the Saviour must fill – No other can take it, and none ever will.” – Albert Orsborn.
And now, a word from the Word: Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! Romans 15:13 The Message.
Be blessed today…and wear a smile!