None can help but God — to you I turn,
O Lord, for rescue. No miracle in a tube,
No counselor’s couch, no exercise or drug
Removes my fears or eases my troubled mind,
But only trust in you. I cannot climb
Or raise myself, in me no power nor strength.
Give life, O Lord, and raise me up from death.
One necessary presence
Heavenly Father, we miss many people in our lives who have either passed away or who have moved physically or emotionally. For some of them we grieve. Their loss pains us deeply. We feel empty because of their absence. Their presence brought us joy, security, fulfillment, and satisfaction. Their love and friendship meant so much to us.
We understand that as important as these people were to us, none of them was a necessary presence. Only your presence in our lives is an absolute necessity, for we were made for your love and fellowship.
We know you understand our feelings about our loved ones. We know that their presence in our lives was a gift from you. You made us a part of a family, a circle of friends, a community. We are thankful that you give us love through others and surround us with people who care.
Above all, we thank you for your presence with us. Help us not to neglect our relationship with you. May we cherish it above all others. And may we be willing to give up any other to preserve it.
Because we know that we have in our lives only one necessary presence—yours.
Praying with the hands
George Raindrop in his book No Common Task tells how a nurse once taught a man to pray and in doing so changed his whole life, until a dull, disgruntled and dispirited creature became a man of joy. Much of the nurse’s work was done with her hands, and she used her hands as a scheme of prayer. Each finger stood for someone. Her thumb was nearest to her, and it reminded her to pray for those who were closest to her. The second finger was used for pointing and it stood for all her teachers in school and in the hospital. The third finger was the tallest and it stood for the V.I.P.s, the leaders in every sphere of life. The fourth finger was the weakest, as every pianist knows, and it stood for those who were in trouble and in pain. The little finger was the smallest and the least important and to the nurse it stood for herself.
The Years of Toil and Tears
Wind, rain, and sun upon the earth
Wear away its surface, leach the soil,
But in return they bring a blessing of life.
The years of toil and tears, the constant trials
Break down the body, bow the heavy shoulders,
But strengthen a spirit whose daily might is God.
O Lord, in you may we discover the power of love.