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December 31, 2006
New Year's Resolution
It is not that I may not try out some new ways of being in the nearly new year, but, regardless, I hope and pray that I come back time and again in the new year to the resolution expressed in this hymn. I do not like all of the new tunes for hymns; I do like this one.
Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Holy His will abideth.
I will be still whate’er He does,
And follow where He guideth.
He is my God, though dark my road.
He holds me that I shall not fall
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.
Whate’er my God ordains is right,
He never will deceive me
He leads me by the proper path,
I know He will not leave me
I take, content, what He hath sent
His hand can turn my griefs away
And patiently I wait His day.
Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Though now this cup in drinking
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it all unshrinking
My God is true, each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart
And pain and sorrow shall depart.
Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Here shall my stand be taken
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken
My Father’s care is round me there
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him I leave it all.
Oh, and the banner? That is a shot of the lovely blanket my sister-in-law, Dawn, made me for Christmas from Wallace tartan cloth she got all the way from Scotland. The banner is up in her honor and the honor of the Dog House ladies in in Pakistan with whom our family spent many a Hogmanay with haggis, Scottish dancing, and prayers and soup at midnight.
Personal Growth or Lack Thereof | By jackdas | 3:03 PM
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Comments
Thanks for the post. Those words encourage my heart! Happy New Year friend!
Posted by: Tanya at January 1, 2007 8:16 PM
God Bless You, Brother, in the coming year!
Posted by: Heidi H. at January 1, 2007 9:29 PM
"What'er my God ordains..." that's hard to trust sometimes. My New Years resolution this year was similar in that it also is based on trusting God. I decided to let God take the things from me that are keeping me from being fully free to love and serve others. Sounds wishy-washy, but I've got concrete things in mind. On New Years Eve, I felt like the guy in the "Great Divorce" with the lizard taunting him. If we can just say to God, "O.K. I give you permission take it", God can turn our tormenting lizards into a helpful stallions. But, if we don’t, we continue to endure unnecessary hurt and estrangement (there is plenty of necessary hurt to endure why contend with more). So this year, before the ball dropped, I gave a reluctant..."O.K. take it." It's scary.
P.S. Your New Years Resolution hymn reminded me of Rick Warren’s message at URBANA, on the three Ws: “Whatever, Whenever, Wherever”. Did you get to hear it? If not, I’ll fill you in sometime.
Posted by: Heidi Vincent at January 2, 2007 9:13 AM
hey neil, thanks for sharing. i love the words (and the music as well) in that hymn.
heidi, i completely know what you're talking about! i just finished reading the Great Divorce while was home at Christmas. I loved the part in the book about the man with the lizard because I felt like I completely understood his pain. My prayer for us this new years is that we would be able to say, "O.K., take it" to God and trust his ways.
Sorry, that comment to a comment got a little long : ) Happy New Year!
Posted by: Claire at January 2, 2007 9:41 AM
Heidi and Tanya and Claire, thank you for the New Year wishes and blessings. I am a believer in blessing one another through prayers and words and even touch (as my Pakistani grandma did with her hand on our heads as she spoke, Old Testament style) and would like to take that up more in life generally.
Heidi and Claire, Yes I too can relate to the man in the Great Divorce. It is a brilliant illustration. Blessings on all of us, indeed, as we give over our dragons to be killed and transformed. That is what this image from cornerstone was all about.
http://dassler.stlouisblogs.org/archives/the%20burning%20politeness%20of%20love.JPG
Posted by: Neil E. Das at January 2, 2007 4:32 PM
I remember the first time I was asked to sing that song in church. The Lord ministered to my soul as I was singing it (a brand new song to the church at that point) for the congregation. I was totally overcome with God's goodness even in the midst of my sorrow and cried while I was singing! The words are perfect.
Posted by: Amanda at January 2, 2007 8:35 PM
