Make the Most Of The Moment

 Living in the suburbs of a large city provides the chance to spend a lot of time in your car. Waiting in traffic has a way of becoming  a frustration if one does not view it as a time of opportunity. In recent years, I have been developing and practicing my listening skills through carefully selected audiobooks and music CD's while driving. These times have become precious to me as I have listened through books of the Bible, books written about the Bible, or God-ward oriented music. I find myself treasuring these moments as times of intimate fellowship with God.

Lately, as I have been driving hither and yon an old hymn by Franny Crosby, "O Heart Bereaved and Lonely," has caught my listening ear as I absorb the writing from the pen of a woman who spent her entire life in the darkness of being blind. She wrote over 8000 hymns in her lifetime.  She understood suffering and the sweet and bitter providence it is in the life of the believer in Christ. As to her blindness she said:

"It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."

If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind...for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour."
quoted from http://www.eaec.org/faithhallfame/fanny_crosby.htm

Fanny Crosby, though blind, was able to see the beauty and the blessedness that is found in affliction. There is much for us to learn from the life of this precious woman of God. When I listen to the words of "O Heart Bereaved..." I find much comfort and solace. As tears tumble down my cheeks I sing in praise of the love, mercy, grace and goodness of our great Savior. Dear reader whose heart is bereaved and lonely this day, "Look up amid thy sorrow," "Look up and be not discouraged," "Look up the clouds are breaking," and remember "YOUR SAVIOR KNOWS IT ALL."

O Heart Bereaved and Lonely

O heart bereaved and lonely,

Whose brightest dreams have fled

Whose hopes like summer roses,

Are withered crushed and dead

Though link by link be broken,

And tears unseen may fall

Look up amid thy sorrow,

To Him who knows it all

O cling to thy Redeemer,

Thy Savior, Brother, Friend

Believe and trust His promise,

To keep you till the end

O watch and wait with patience,

And question all you will

His arms of love and mercy,

Are round about thee still

Look up, the clouds are breaking,

The storm will soon be o'er

And thou shall reach the haven,

Where sorrows are no more

Look up, be not discouraged;

Trust on, whate'er befall

Remember, O remember,

Thy Savior knows it all

Fanny Crosby