When sorrows like sea billows roll.

Wake us to Your presence LORD, that we might not waste our times of trials.

It is in the quiet crucible of your personal private sufferings that your noblest dreams are born and God’s greatest gifts are given.

You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your promise. Psalm 119:65

But Martha was distracted with much serving. But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary; Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10

To sit at His feet.

And Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds rolled away like a scroll.

What would You teach us today in our trials, Lord? Make us receptive. Help us see Your victory and compassion rather than look for easy answers to our troubles. So make us expectant, Lord, and patient. Amen.

Presence.

As I typed out the next round of 1000 Gifts this morning, I thanked God for each of the trials and sorrows. In each long pause He whispered back to me His victory and His compassion.

Thank You for not giving us easy answers.

But in the crashing waves, may I lift up my eyes unto You, may my soul rise up to meet You, and place my hand into Your nail-pierced hand.

And to the Father, who spared not even His Son that I might truly know Him and be in Him. And He in me.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:23-25

Ah, and for me, the doing is sitting at His feet. All day long. Not forgetting. Not popping up and wiping the counter and stacking away the clean dishes. Anxious and troubled about many things in the past, many things in future.

Presence.

And the wind ceased.