Turning 97

Easter weekend I had the privilege of being among so many good friends and a lot of our wonderful male and female ministers. We had a wonderful time together and gained a lot of spiritual and physical nourishment.

Murhl just so happened to be celebrating his 97th birthday and we sang and had cake after Easter lunch.
He is almost completely blind and was probably only able to make out the flickering light of the candles and the shape of the cake, but the joy on his face when we began singing was so worth it!

Murhl stood up and spoke to us on Sunday and watching him stand there with no sight and no Bible in hand was a very encouraging and emotional moment for me. You could just see God's work pouring out of him with every word. In fact, I was so taken back by him that I forgot to write his messages down in my notebook.

I desire to have that same kind of faith and drive to serve our God when I'm coming to the evening stages of my life.

I pray that when my life is coming to an end, I will know what matters in this life--to be a servant of God and to live only for Him. Nothing else matters really.

We sang Hymn #117 from our Hymn books and the words spoke to me so much and made me an emotional wreck really (I couldn't even get the words out).

1st verse:

In the distant land of famine, craving with the swine to feed
Oh! how bitter that awak 'ning to my sin and shame and need
Dark and dreary all around me--Now no more by sin beguiled
I will go and seek my Father, Be a bondsman, not a child

Chorus:

But within His home he led me, Brought me where the feast was spread,
Made me eat with Him, my Father--Me, who begged for bondsman's bread.

2nd verse:

Yet a great off way He saw me, ran to kiss me as I came
As I was, my Father loved me, Loved me in my sin and shame
Then in bitter grieft I told Him of the evil I had done
Sinned in scorn of Him, my Father, Was not meet to be His Son.

Chorus

Last Verse:

But I knew not if He listened, For He spake not of my sin
He within His house would have me, Made me meet to enter in
From the riches of His glory Brought His costliest raiment forth
Brought the ring that sealed His purpose, Shoes to walk within His courts.

It is hard for me to comprehend the deep love that God and His son have for their people. Being human, I can't understand how we can be forgiven for some of the things we do in this world, but we can. God's people are promised forgiveness if we want it. I can't sing this hymn without getting emotional.

My picture for this hymn: A man comes to Jesus weak and weary, at the end of his life. He is sobbing and telling Jesus of all the sins he committed in his time in this world. Jesus wipes his tears, and welcomes him into his Kingdom where a feast is laid out and a place is set at the table for the man. The man says, "I don't think you heard me--I have so much sin." Jesus says nothing but shows the man to his seat with a smile.