Faith – Page 2 – Woodsmoke and Cardamom

Communion

by Lucy M. Young

When I entered the sanctuary
I was burdened with sadness and guilt;
I'd been angry, impatient, uncaring,
All day my resentment had built.

It was quiet and peaceful, soft-lighted.
I sat with my head bowed in shame.
I confessed my sins to my Saviour,
Asked forgiveness in His precious Name.

Then I prayed for love and compassion
Toward those who had crossed me that day.
"Forgive and forget," was His message,
"I'll walk with you all the way."

The table was set by the altar;
I approached it with reverence and prayer.
The bread and the cup sanctified me,
I felt safe and secure in His care.

I knew that my sins were forgiven;
Peace descended on me like a dove.
My burden of guilt had been lifted,
He had answered my prayers with His love.

Lord Be in My Eyes

Lord, be in my eyes.
Let me see beauty everywhere -
In earth and sea and sky,
And in the faces of my friends and family.

Lord, be in my ears.
Let me be deaf to harsh and cruel phrases.
Let me hear only pleasant words and lovely music
From the stars, the songs of birds,
And in the words of those around me.

Lord, be in my mouth.
Let me speak gently,thoughtfully,
And let me never speak an unkind word to hurt another.

Dear Lord, be in my hands.
Keep them ever gentle, kind and helpful.
Let them never be in anger raised against another,
But keep them ever ready to be used whenever needed
By stranger, friend or foe -

Then, Lord, be in my mind and heart.
Keep them clean and clear and open to receive Your word,
Ignoring hostility, intolerance and anger,
And helping me to know how best to love and serve You daily.

Grant Me Serenity

by Lucy M. Young

Dear Lord, grant me serenity,
That I may gracefully accept
Whatever comes my way that can't be altered.
If my body must be crippled,
Let not my mind and heart and soul be crippled also.
Grant me the strength
To rise above my physical affliction,
And be content with what I can accomplish
In spite of it.

Lord, grant me courage
To change my way of life to fit the limits
Placed upon me by my handicap;
To smile in spite of pain;
To laugh at difficulties, disappointments,
And find the strength to do my daily tasks.

But if it be Thy will, dear Lord,
I pray that Thou wilt heal my leg;
That pain may disappear,
And I may walk and work and live in comfort;
However, Lord, Thy will not mine be done.
Whatever be the outcome of this day, I will accept it;
And with Thy help,
I'll strive each day to live a useful, joyous life;
And make my home a pleasant, tranquil place,
That all who come may feel refreshed,
And go their way with peaceful, happy hearts.

Teach Us to Forgive

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, teach us to forgive
For only by forgiving can we ever hope
To be forgiven,
Or find the peace of mind and heart we need
To go on living.
Only if we're able to forgive
Can we truly love each other as You asked.

I thank you, Lord,
For helping me forgive a friend
Who hurt me deeply long ago.
For many wasted years I bore ill will and anger.
It festered in my mind
And grew to such proportions
That my entire life was tainted and controlled
By bitterness and cynicism.

Then one glad day You softly spoke to me
And I forgave my friend.
A cruel weight was lifted from my heart.
My soul was flooded with such peace and joy
The world looked beautiful to me again.
My mind and heart and soul were cleansed
And I was free once more
To live and love and serve.

I thank you, Lord, for teaching me forgiveness.

The Family Doctor

by Lucy M. Young

He's more than just a doctor
He's a friend, a confidant,
To whom I can confide my deepest fears.
He will not laugh or put me down,
He'll understand and help.

Whistling a cheerful little tune
He ushers me into his office.
Anxiety and fear are dissipated and I'm sure
That whatever ailment I may have
He'll treat successfully.

He always has a little joke
Or interesting anecdote
To put me at my ease and cheer me up.

He is sincere, concerned and caring, understanding.
He lifts my spirits while he treats my body,
And I leave his office reassured
That all will soon be well.

He has a deep abiding faith in God
And I gladly put my life into his hands;
Knowing he is guided through his faith
By the great Physician, Jesus,
Lord and Saviour of us all.

My Life is in Your Hands

by Lucy M. Young

My life is in Your hands, dear Lord,
Do with it what You will;
For I am only here on earth
Your purpose to fulfill.

I know not what You want from me,
What small part I must play
To make Your world a better place,
So guide me, Lord, I pray.

You know I'm weak and fearful, Lord,
Unsure of what to do;
Afraid of failure, insecure,
But truly loving You;

Sincerely wanting to serve You well,
Trusting You more each day;
I care not what You ask of me
I'll do whate'er You say.

I'll follow You where'er You lead
Throughout the livelong day,
My life is in Your loving hands
As I slowly find my way

Through snares of indecision,
And pitfalls of deceit,
Betrayal, disappointment,
From people that I meet.

My life, my heart, my mind are Yours
So guide me, Lord, I pray;
Your love and strength will hold me up
On the straight and narrow way.

Lord, Calm My Troubled Spirit

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, calm my troubled spirit,
Soothe the restlessness within me,
Ease the tension in my body,
And the coldness in my soul.
My heart is filled with dread
As I face the day before me.
What's wrong with me? Why must I feel this way?
I wait impatiently for the quiet shades of evening
When I can rest, forgetting all my worries,
Then morning comes, and 'though I cling to sleep,
I must awaken
To the pressures of another empty day.

The world outside my window
Is alive with springtime magic -
The joyful songs of birds and the busy hum of bees;
A glorious display of daffodils and tulips,
And balmy breezes laden with the scent of hyacinths.
The golden glow of sunlight
Brightens every shadowed corner.
A glorious swatch of velvet blue
Is draped above the earth;
Yet sadness dims my vision
With a mist of unshed tears,
And I cannot see the beauty of the day.

Lord, shake me up,
And calm the stormy grayness of my spirit.
Dispel this cloud of gloom surrounding me.
Replace my doubt with trust
And my dread with fearless joy,
Then let me walk secure in the knowledge of Your love.

Lord, keep my spirit free,
My faltering faith replenished,
And fill my empty heart with light once more.

Help Me to Believe

by Lucy M. Young

Help me to believe, Lord,
For there are times
When hopes and dreams are crushed,
When my world, turned upside down,
Is crashing 'round my feet,
That life looks meaningless and empty.
I wonder sometimes if You're really there,
If You can hear my prayers,
Or if You even care.

Forgive me, Lord, and help me to believe.
I'm sorry for my weakness
And my lack of steadfast faith.
When You see me falter, hold me up.
I dare not look ahead.
Without Your love I'm lost, I have no hope.
Forgive me, Lord, and help me to believe.

Lord, Lift Me Up

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, lift me up.
Help me achieve a feeling of self-worth.
I must be good for something
For Your love put me here on earth
For some good reason known to You alone;
But being constantly put down and criticized
Has made me feel so worthless.

It seems I can do nothing right,
But, Lord, You know I've tried.
Deep down inside,
I know You care for me;
I never could have lived
Through all these years of nagging and complaints
If You did not.

Lord, lift me up.
Help me to feel my life is not in vain;
Grant me the courage 
To ignore the taunts and criticisms,
The groundless accusations.
Help me to know what's right for me to do,
Then grant me strength to do it.

I am so weak and cowardly;
I fear displeasure, hatred, anger.
Help me to rise above these things
And be what You would have me be.
Forgive my weakness, my despair,
And lead me toward the life You've planned for me.

With Your help and guidance, Lord,
I'll do my utmost to fulfill my destiny,
Whatever it may be.

A Good Example

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, help me live according to Your plan.
Teach me to love my neighbor as myself.
Help me to judge not, lest I, too, be judged;
And give me strength to turn the other cheek.

Help me forget about tomorrow's woe,
Remembering only what today may bring;
And if perchance some sorrow may befall,
Help me to hide it well behind a smile.

When trouble comes may I remain serene,
And, trusting in Your power to cure all ills,
Walk calmly through the day with perfect faith
That all things sent by You are right and good.

Lord, help me to be to all a good example
Of what Your perfect love may do for them;
And let Your light so shine through me that others
May follow You with faith and joy and love.