O Love that Wilt not Let Me Go

Image from here.

George Matheson wrote this hymn after he became ill, and the doctors told him that he would lose his eyesight. He wrote to his sweetheart, informing her of his blindness, hoping that she would not want to let him go. He offered to release her from the engagement, and she said that she didn’t want to go through life with a blind man.

After several years of mental suffering, he wrote the words to this immortal hymn. He said that when he wrote this hymn, he was alone and the hymn took him no more than five minutes and has not been retouched or corrected. Isn’t it incredible what the hand of God can do, through the life of someone who is willing to be used?

George Matheson

Love and Affection

This essay was written by my 13 year old daughter for Christian Growth PACE 138, and was very well written, so I thought that I would share it with you.

Love and affection are two of the most important things in the world. People will go the extra mile for others if they love them, and that is what the meaning of love is. It is cheerfully doing things for other people who are unable to do it themselves. Some chores are made much easier if a person lovingly thanks someone for working on something or helping them with problems. People who are starved of love and affection often become jealous, suspicious or even begin to feel discriminated against.

Some people who feel that they are not loved find a love substitute. Pets are fine, but when someone begins to use them as a substitute for love, they run into problems. Other substitutes are drugs and alcohol. However, there is no true substitute for love, whether you are giving it or receiving it. Another way that they express their feelings is through aggressive behaviour. Most bullies come from a family where they have been starved of love and affection. Not everyone lashes out at society if they are love starved. Some people withdraw from society and hide themselves in their little shell. Sometimes people may not show love to other people, and this is normally because they have not been loved themselves. People may feel hurt that other people appear not to love them, but they are only imitating the people that they live around. Love is not something that you are born with, it is acquired.

Some parents refuse to punish their children because they are afraid that they will lose their children’s love. However, they would be more loving if they did punish their children, because it would be better for them in the long run. As long as children understand that the punishment is given because their parents love them, and not because their parents are trying to make their life miserable, they should accept the punishment. Although the children may think that their parents are being downright mean, discipline is better than allowing the child to continue in his bad behaviour. Parents should know that their children will love them more if they prevent the heartache that could come to their child through one bad act. Although the giving of gifts is a way to show love, the only way to show people that we truly love them is through the giving of our time to them. Our actions speak louder than our words, and our time is the most precious gift that anyone could give to another. That gift means that we value them highly enough to take time out of our day to spend with them.

People who have not been loved by others should remember that there is One who will always love them and will never let them go, no matter what others do to them. It is Jesus Christ who has always loved us and will always love us. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Praise and Prayer

Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Ps 106:1

Praise You, Almighty Father for:

• Keeping us strong while my husband is waiting for a total knee replacement in August. Please keep him pain-free until then, and help the months to fly by.

• Your constant provision over us – providing the food that we eat, money to pay the bills, the home that we live in, comfortable beds, rich creamy goats’ milk to drink and Your Son – our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ who gave His life that we might live in a relationship with you.

• My husband, who continues to soldier on, doing what he can, and I praise you, Father, that he can still milk the goats. That is one job that none of us is especially keen to take on, but it looks as if my son will be milking the goats while my husband is incapacitated.

• Our children, who have shouldered more of the responsibilities of running a hobby farm while my husband waits on a new knee. That, combined with their schoolwork has kept them very busy indeed.

• Friends – especially blogging friends and IRL friends who continue to strengthen us and help us to come into a closer relationship with you. Friends, like Kylie, who almost had me in tears of joy over the poem that she wrote while looking at my blog – beautiful poetry, God-honouring poetry.

• For the beautiful ground-soaking rain that He has sent us. So far we have had 13mm, and it’s still raining – YAY!

• That we live in Australia, where freedom of religion is one of our choices, according to our Constitution, but please keep our politicians in your prayers, for there are moves afoot for:

1. “Equal Opportunity” provisions requiring para church organisations (such as Christian book stores) to employ people that do not practice a Christian lifestyle.
2. Formal directives stating that the discussion of Intelligent Design or Creation is no longer acceptable in science lessons in South Australian Christian schools.
3. Draft changes to fringe benefit laws which will make it difficult for churches and charities to meet payroll costs.

Please pray that the Family First party will continue to fight for freedom of religion in Australia, and that Robert Brokenshire will gain the numbers needed to defeat these motions in Parliament. Our religious freedoms are being eroded at an alarming rate.

With the Dust…

There was a yell from my daughter, “Shut the windows – there’s a dust storm!” We couldn’t even see the paddock across the road, but we managed to shut the windows just in time to stop the dust from pervading every square inch of our home, and just as quickly as it started, it was over. With the dust comes the rain, and the temperature has dropped rather dramatically outside. Mmm, I love the smell of the rain on the stubbly paddocks.

SO

We are really looking forward to a good downpouring of rain, as our rainfall for the year has been only about ten millimetres. Praise God that He knows what we have need of, before we even ask!

Prayer and Praise

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1: 7

…our church, where we are loved, welcomed and valued for who we are and what we have to contribute. The person who shared his testimony today said, “Your attitude determines your altitude”, and this is so true. Our attitude affects more than just our family and friends – it affects everyone who comes into contact with us.

…my husband who is continuing to soldier on, doing what he can, when he can. I think that God is using this time to strengthen our love for one another and our faith in Him, and He carries us through the difficult times.

…our children, who have stepped up to take on extra chores while my husband’s knee is painful. I suspect that he needs a total knee replacement, and that will mean lots more work for everyone, especially in regard to milking the goats – could be very interesting.

…friends – IRL friends, blogging friends and internet friends who help us to grow to be more like Jesus, mirroring His love and friendship to all.

…His provision over us - we seem to have just enough money to pay the bills, put petrol into the car and put food onto the table; and I’m content with that, for with more, there comes temptation. God supplies all of our needs!

…cooler nights, so that we can sleep well. Today’s temperature is absolutely blissful; 27C and a cool southerly blowing. It appears that summer is almost over, and soon winter will be upon our doorstep. I am standing upon God’s promises, praying and believing that our Heavenly Father will provide the warmth needed for winter, for He says that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

…homeschooling and the freedoms that we have, here in Australia. In other parts of the world it is much more difficult to homeschool openly and legally. Please pray for the governing powers in Germany, that the laws will be softened, so that people can homeschool openly, legally and without fear of reprisals. In Sweden, young Dominic Johannson is still separated from the love of his parents – please pray for the swift reuniting of Dominic, Annie and Christer.

…resources from Our Daily Bread. Last night we watched the first story called A Marriage Reborn, on a DVD called Love’s Lasting Call – it is a DVD explaining how to have a good marriage. Good marriages don’t just happen – they are built upon God’s blueprint for marriage. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says that a cord of three strands is not easily broken, and the three strands are God, the husband and wife. I am really looking forward to the second part, which is A Promise Kept.