Questions & Answers
"Showers of blessing," weary pilgrim, "Showers of blessing" is the vow; God hath spoken it, my brother; Search and find them here and now. Does thy day seem fraught with shadow, And thy step go forth with doubt? Just before thee wait His blessings, And His love is round about.
Thy grace, O loving Father, Thou dost give, As to the thirsty flower the raindrops cool, And by Thy precepts teach us how to live. Thy hand will lead; Thy love will guard us still.
A little flicker at the first it seems, As when a candle in a draft is set; Then, as the door is shut on all material sense, A steadier flame illumes my life. The dimness fades, the darkness I forget; Gone the black shadows which before had wrapped me round, For I the light of all the world have found.
Reaping you must do, or ever you can sow,— Gladness must be yours, or ever you can show That happiness is fruitfulness from good seed in good soil; 'T was some one loved and blessed you with the sowing, and its toil, Hence you must reap and winnow good or ever you can sow. Keeping must be done, or ever you can give,— The blessing you must take that you may truly live! By fathers brave and mothers dear how much good seed was sown; From heaven's grace came kindly showers, and so the seed has grown; By reaping then enrich yourself or ever you can give.
"Man is not made to till the soil,"* But to express God's finished plan; 'T is not God's will that he should toil,— Dominion is God's gift to man. Look up! the fields with grain are white, Prepared by Love—were never bare.
Let me not say, "Thy will be done," And bow my head in meek submission, Feeling the chastening of One Invisible, whose cold decision Withholds the substance of my sweetest dreaming, Charging that prayer like mine is unbeseeming. O God of love, "Thy will be done"! For all Thy will is love revealing, And, knowing Thee, I need not shun Thy wisdom, when before Thee kneeling, But lift my heart in glad assurance, learning That all is well, where Love abides, discerning.
Father, Mind, whose wisdom guides us, Journeying on from sense to Soul, In His tabernacle hides us, Shields us by His strong control. Mother, Love, divinely tender, Peace and joy Thy presence bring; We our weariness surrender, Hushed beneath Thine angel wing.
Dear child, thou needst not seek to know Each step thou must to-morrow take; Rejoice! .
We are so near to Thee! Sometimes so thin the veil that hangs between, And forms the unreal shadow of our dream, We catch the soft reflection from Thy light— Some radiance from the day that has no night: And this is grace.
" Let there be light," is God's command. No clouds of error can withstand This power unlabored—great its might! Be glad! Give thanks! for there is light.