Day of Rest

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy: Deuteronomy 5:12

In a recent post I comment that Sundays are both the best and worst days of the week. They're becoming better and better.

It has a busy week at work and at home. I've moved my remaining personal property (a.k.a my junk) from my soon-to-be-ex-wife's house to my barn and have gotten a good head start on chores at the office. I'm getting more and settled at the new place. And my walk with God gets closer and closer with each passing day. Even the reluctance of my soon-to-be-ex to speak to me unless absolutely necessary doesn't bother me like it did. We even had a couple of entirely normal phone conversations during the week, which is a step in the right direction.

In church I got the added bonus of the company of my seven-year-old daughter for the duration of the worship service, which was quite wonderful. She stayed on my lap or in my arms for the entire hour. Oh, how I ache for her. A second bonus was that we actually sang a song directly from the hymnal, as opposed to the usual modern practice of throwing the words up on the overhead screen and hoping everyone knows the tune. I do love to sing from the book, with the music and the voice parts laid out in front of me (Southern Man may not have much of a singing voice but he reads the tenor line just fine, thank you). I often state my opinion that the church lost a vital part of its great musical tradition when they abandoned the practice of singing from the hymnal. When I was a child I learned a good deal about music from trying to sing the different voice parts. Back then the entire congretation sang in parts. Alas, the only time I hear that today is from the old-timers who remember. I suppose that musical literacy in the church is just one more casualty of the Powerpoint Age.

The hymn was an old standard:

My Jesus, I love Thee; I know Thou art mine.
For Thee, all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou.
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

A lot of things have gone well this week. For the first time in a long while I find myself singing with the car stereo and smiling at total strangers. The sky seems to be bluer and the grass greener, in spite of the recent weeks of 100-degree heat. I've released a lot of burdens to God's care and it almost seems like I've been granted a promise of a better tomorrow and a brighter future. I don't know what He has in store for me, but I am confident that time will reveal His will for my life. Lord, I pray that you would continue to heal me and carry my sorrows. Guide and direct me to see and to walk the path You have appointed for me. Amen.