The lasting gifts our Father brings Ain’t “mockingbirds” or “diamond rings” Not “looking glasses” “Billy goats” (1) Or heavy sacks of crisp new notes
Ain’t giant boxes wrapped in strings No, it’s a seed that sprouts fresh things Its fruits can rescue Drowning hearts By drawing them to Peter’s Barque
The fruit of FAITH, which gives one wings And that of HOPE for living springs What is this seed? God’s Word, well told To “bear much fruit”, a hundred fold
Its greatest fruit, the spark of LOVE For friends, for foes, for heav’n above There is no good This fruit won’t bring For all who lean upon its King ***** (1) Hush Little Baby, by Mother Goose
Lord let me let You LOVE me I give You my permission Allow me to return Your Gaze To love You is my mission Erase my bleakish hope-erosion With sunny praise
Lord let me let You CHANGE me I send You my surrender Convert this heart of stone to flesh (1) Of coldness to combustion Combine Your Heart afire with mine Entwine and mesh
Lord, let me let You USE me Of me, take full possession My eyes and mouth, my feet and hands My glances, thoughts and words Now wield as lances to defeat The serpent’s plans
Lord, let me let You QUENCH me My soul is parched and wearied (2) Your Living Water, gush nonstop (3) To sop those seeds You’ve buried Within that secret plot, we’ll tend Your Kingdom crop
My voice of conscience sounded dire, “It’s time we had a chat! I’ve grown concerned; I must inquire…” Thus went our “lover’s spat”…
“First, do you own your mobile phone Or does that phone own you?” “But it’s brand new”, I said
“Leave me alone!“
“Do you consume and mind the news Or does the news consume your mind?” I replied, “Do you mind?”
“I’m not amused!”
“And do you hold your greed in check Or does it hold you by the neck?” I gasped, “I’m trying, ok?”
“I won’t forget!”
“Do you control your precious things Or do they control YOU?” “I must confess”, I said
“That questions stings!”
“So who owns what, and what owns who? “Or, whose is what, and what is whose?” Such musings bruised my ego, so… I loosened up my vice-grip on the phone…
(Preamble: this is a loose paraphrase with “artistic license” of the account of Exodus 3-4, in a spirit of reverence to the holy Word of God and to God’s holy prophet St. Moses)
********** The LORD appeared to Moses in an unburnt bush, aflame He’d heard the Hebrews groaning Under Pharoah’s lash of shame So God told Moses to return and free them from their tears Yet Moses’ heart was cramped with doubt and fear
“BUT who am I to go to Pharaoh? Who am I to plead? BUT I can’t save your people! I’m a nobody, indeed!” His BUT’s got in his way, but couldn’t counter God’s rebuttals Away from God’s command, he couldn’t scuttle
So God said, “I’ll be with you; very soon this sign you’ll see: One day upon this mountain You will serve and worship me! Yet Moses wasn’t ready to say yes to God’s request He moved from BUT’s to IF’s in his distress
“So IF I were to go to all the Israelites and say ‘Your God has sent me to you!’ And then they ask Your name? What shall I say?” The LORD replied, “Say, I AM WHO I AM (1) Your forebears’ God, beginning with Abraham”
“BUT what if they do not believe or listen to my words BUT say, ‘The LORD did not appear! That’s crazy! That’s absurd!’” The LORD replied, “What’s in your hand?” and Moses said, “A staff” God ordered, “Throw it down on My behalf”
He tossed it down; it changed into a snake (perhaps an asp) The LORD said, “Grasp its tail” It changed back into a staff! Next God instructed Moses, “Put your hand inside your cloak” He did, then pulled it out, turned white as snow!
“Now put your hand back in your cloak”, said God, and he obeyed When he pulled it out again It was back to normal shade! Despite these signs, he let another BUT soon block his way With patient love, God listened to him pray
“BUT LORD, I’m slow of speech!” A good excuse? It was a dud “Who gives strength to speak at all? You’ll change water into blood! For I’ll be with you, and I’ll tell you what to say”, God said Then Moses cried, “Send someone else instead!”
The LORD had Aaron, Moses’ brother, join him as his speaker Then sent them on their quest Egypt’s “gods” proved all the weaker God freed those slaves, and still today frees slaves from cruel misers Like IF’s and BUT’s and other paralyzers
The Pharaoh and his slav’ry are true symbols of our foes: The sin and death that CAPTURED us And Satan’s “empty show” The NEW Moses, Christ Jesus, by His death and rising, freed us! He RESCUED us; His Spirit now will lead us!
The next time some BUT blocks you as you follow God each day Like, “BUT I’m just not strong enough” Or, “BUT I can’t, no way!” Recall the words of Paul, “I can do ALL through Christ Who strengthens me” (2) And then get off your BUT’s…
