"The day arrives, the moment wished and feared;

The child is born, by many a pang endeared,

and now the mother's ear has caught the cry;

O grant the cherub to her asking eye!

He comes -- she clasps him. To her bosom pressed,

He drinks the balm of life, and drops to rest.

Her by her smile how soon the stranger knows;

How soon by his the glad discovery shows!

As to her lips she lifts the lovely boy,

what answering looks of sympathy and joy!

he walks, he speaks. In many a broken word

His wants, his wishes, and his griefs are heard.

And ever, ever to her lap he flies,

when rosy sleep comes on with sweet surprise.

Locked in her arms, his arms across her flung

(that name most dear forever on his tongue)

as with soft accents round her neck he clings,

and, cheek to cheek, her lulling song she sings,

how blest to feel the beatings of his heart,

breathe his sweet breath, and kiss for kiss impart.

Watch o'er his slumbers like the brooding dove,

and, if she can, exhaust a mother's love."

I ran across this piece on "Human Life", and thought this part on a mother's love captures it like few things I've ever read. So sweet, so tender. God's richest gift.

Samuel Rogers, photo by Tom Florres Sr.

I ran across this photo by Andre Torres and just had to share it. Man! the colors and composition of this photo just jump out. Oh to take a photo like this! These two ladies are from Viet Nam. Simply electric.

As Christians, we lose our way many times and at many seasons. The following piece by Samuel Johnson spells out the process as well as I've ever heard it. If you have missed your mark may this encourage you.

“Son,” said the hermit, “let the errors and follies, the dangers and escapes of this day sink deep into thy heart. Remember, my son, that human life is the journey of a day. We rise in the morning of youth, full of vigor, and full of expectation; we set forward with spirit and hope, with gayety and with diligence, and travel on a while in the straight road of piety towards the mansions of rest. In a short time we remit our fervor, and endeavor to find some mitigation of our duty, and some more easy means of obtaining the same end. We then relax our vigor, and resolve no longer to be terrified with crimes at a distance, but rely upon our own constancy, and venture to approach what we resolved never to touch. We thus enter the bowers of ease, and repose in the shades of security. Here the heart softens, and vigilance subsides; we are then willing to enquire whether another advance cannot be made, and whether we may not, at least, turn our eyes upon the gardens of pleasure. We approach them with scruple and hesitation; we enter them, but enter timorous and trembling; and always hope to pass through them without losing the road of virtue, which we, for a while, keep in our sight, and to which we propose to return. But temptation succeeds temptation, and one compliance prepares us for another; we in time lose the happiness of innocence, and solace our disquiet with sensual gratifications. By degrees we let fall the remembrance of our original intention, and quit the only adequate object of rational desire. We entangle ourselves in business, immerge ourselves in luxury, and rove through the labyrinths of inconstancy, till the darkness of old age begins to invade us, and disease and anxiety obstruct our way. We then look back upon our lives with horror, with sorrow, with repentance; and wish, but too often vainly wish, that we had not forsaken the ways of virtue. Happy are they, my son, who shall learn from the example not to despair but shall remember, that though the day is past, and their strength is wasted, there yet remains one effort to be made; that reformation is never hopeless, nor sincere endeavors every unassisted; that the wanderer may at length return after all his errors; and that he who implores strength and courage from above, shall find danger and difficulty give way before him. Go now, my son, to thy repose; commit thyself to the care of Omnipotence; and when the morning calls again to toil, begin anew thy journey and thy life.”

Samuel Johnson, photo by Yiannis G.

Contrasts

Photo by John Crosley

In the last week the scripture 2Cor. 1:5 “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ”, has captured my attention. I began to ponder, ‘what are the sufferings of Christ today?’. During His earthly ministry he suffered many ways, physically and emotionally, but today the physical sufferings have ceased, so as I began to consider what might His sufferings be today and what does it mean to have the abundant sufferings of Christ today.

We know there are thousands living in countries where faith in Christ is considered illegal and people suffer, in some cases brutally, for Christ. Surely this is to share in the sufferings of Christ. But for those where no persecution exists, is there another application? I think there is, and I think it applies to the emotional and spiritual suffering that Christ and all of heaven suffers today as a result of sin; wars, oppression, greed, addictions, poverty and each of us can add to the list of evils that pervade our cultures. As I watched “Precious” the other night I was keenly aware that the emotions of compassion and sorrow were in this day the “sufferings of Christ”, rising up in me. Just like two thousand years ago when Jesus would rescue Israel by gathering them under His wings; and as He wept over Jerusalem, these sufferings go on in His heart today and we are to share in those sufferings. We may never be persecuted for our faith but we shall suffer for all those in the bonds of wickedness if we truly share in the sufferings of Christ.

So as 2Cor. 1:7 says that the believers in Corinth shared in Paul’s sufferings, we are today to share the sufferings of Christ, so also we are sharers of His comfort.”

To sum up, like the old hymn “In The Garden” states ---”I’d stay in the garden with Him, tho the night around me be falling; but He bids me go, thru the voice of woe, His voice to me is calling.” Yes, His voice is calling through the voice of woe, and I think this is His suffering today, and we are to share in it.

Photo by Maciej Dakowicz

I watched the movie “Precious” last night. It is the story of extreme abuse, the world that few live in but a reality for some that most of us cannot even imagine. The story is heart wrenching and defies description. When watching it is hard to imagine such parental madness but a percentage of the men at the center come out of this mad distortion of human behavior. At one point a warm “peace-maker”, pictured below, speaks of the power of love only to be rebuked by the victim quoting the evils that have come to her through those that “love” her. It was a powerful and moving show with acting almost too real and graphic. I found myself yearning throughout much of the movie just to reach out and hold the victim, somehow to rescue her from her world of perversity. I think it is an adult movie that every adult Christian should see; it’s a peek into the sin crazed laboratory where drug abuse, violence, suicide and all manner of evils are birthed and conjured.

In the midst of what seems to be the overcoming power of naked evil, the movie is filled with subtleties where goodness and love begin to take root and feeble attempts to imitate them begin. To watch this movie is to share in "the sufferings of Christ" as He and all of heaven suffer as they watch this dramatic battle of good and evil play out. Watching this white field that desperately needs workers of love to come and rescue. Sadly the workers are few but even the little that is portrayed, and that by flawed servants, takes root.

Matt and Eric, I think you will both see this as a learning movie and come away with insights helpful in the work you do and have done.

Too disturbing for those under 18 in my opinion.

Pictures from the Internet