Five Talents More

It’s Thanksgiving…I’m thankful! Sometimes someone like Spurgeon says it best. In my morning and evening devotions a few days ago this grabbed my heart as I had been reflecting on God’s graciousness to me year after year. He has never failed me! Yes, there are trails. Yes, there are tears mixed with great joy, but He  has never failed me and never fails to supply every need I have. The greatest need of all being my helpless estate as a sinner. As the great hymn proclaims, ” No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine! Alive in Him, my living head, and clothed in righteousness divine, bold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown through Christ my own.”

“The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams.”

Isaiah 33:21

“Broad rivers and streams produce fertility, and abundance in the land. Places near broad rivers are remarkable for the variety of their plants and their plentiful harvests. God is all this to His Church. Having God she has abundance. What can she ask for that He will not give her? What want can she mention which He will not supply? In this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things. Want ye the bread of life? It drops like manna from the sky. Want ye refeshing streams? The rock follows you, and that Rock is Christ. If you suffer any want it is your own fault; if you are straitened you are not straitened in Him, but in your own bowels. Broad rivers and streams also point to commerce. Our glorious Lord is unto us a place of heavenly merchandise. Through our Redeemer we have commerce with the past; the wealth of Calvary, the treasures of the covenant, the riches of the ancient of days of election, the stores of eternity, all comes to us down the broad stream of our gracious Lord.”  C.H. Spurgeon

A strange sort of thankfulness has emerged from our hearts these past few weeks with Thanksgiving approaching. Mike has been reading the book of Job. [Break]

William Gardner Cook

Dear Grandpa,

We were on our way to see you when we got the news.

There was so much I wanted to say….

 I wanted to tell you that God was so good to me in blessing my life with you, Grandpa.

I treasure the day you picked me up from school to introduce me to my new baby sister. I treasure the many meals we had around the table. I treasure the motor cycle rides and the stories of old. I treasure my memories with great Grandpa Harry and Grandma Dorthy. The IBM picnics and the vacations at the lake were grand. I treasure the time we had this summer at the lake, and hearing you tell me about when you were young and how you became an engineer, how you used to work at the hardware store that Grandpa Harry owned, and that your middle name was Gardner.

I wanted to tell you that Dad, Roxanne and Torri prayed for you together before they went to bed nearly every night.

I wanted to tell you how much it meant to Jamiee and Andrew that you and Jan drove all the way to their wedding reception.

I wanted to tell you how  Dad is such a patient and loving grandpa to the kids, and how they adore him. I knew you would know this by seeing them together but I just wanted you to hear it from me.

I was bringing with me a card and envelope  with the hope that you would be able to write a note to Dad, that I could give to him on his next birthday after you were gone. I knew he would treasure that.

We had scripture and hymns that were our favorite’s that we wanted to share with you…. but 9:14 came too soon.

Nevertheless, not our will but His be done.

Our greatest joy is knowing that you loved Jesus and were waiting for Him to come and take you home.  And although 9:14 came to soon by our earthly standards, we can say without a doubt that His ways are always good, and right and perfect, so we rest in that truth.

Grandpa, we love you and miss you, and delight with you because we know that in His presence there is fullness of joy!