Love Gifts Page 3

  I have prayed through suffering and heartache

  when my eyes were blinded with tears.

  I have prayed in churches and chapels,

  cathedrals and synagogues, too,

  But often I had the feeling that my

  prayers were not getting through …

  And I realized then that our Father

  is not really concerned when we pray

  Or impressed by our manner of worship

  or the eloquent words that we say.

  He is only concerned with our feelings,

  and He looks deep into our hearts

  And hears the cry of our souls’ deep

  need that no words could ever impart …

  So it isn’t the prayer that’s expressive

  or offered in some special spot,

  That’s the sincere plea of a sinner,

  and God can tell whether or not

  We honestly seek His forgiveness

  and earnestly mean what we say,

  And then and then only God answers

  the prayers that we fervently pray.

  WHEN TROUBLES ASSAİL YOU, GOD WİLL NOT FAİL YOU

  When life seems empty and there’s no place to go,

  When you heart is troubled and your spirits are low,

  When friends seem few and nobody cares,

  There is always God to hear your prayers …

  And whatever you’re facing will seem much less

  When you go to God and confide and confess,

  For the burden that seems too heavy to bear

  God lifts away on the wings of prayer …

  And seen through God’s eyes earthly troubles diminish

  And we’re given new strength to face and to finish

  Life’s daily tasks as they come along

  If we pray for strength to keep us strong …

  So go to our Father when troubles assail you,

  For His grace is sufficient and He’ll never fail you.

  HELP YOURSELF TO HAPPİNESS

  Everybody, everywhere seeks happiness, it’s true,

  But finding it and keeping it seem difficult to do,

  Difficult because we think that happiness is found

  Only in the places where wealth and fame abound—

  And so we go on searching in “palaces of pleasure”

  Seeking recognition and monetary treasure,

  Unaware that happiness is just a “state of mind”

  Within the reach of everyone who

  takes time to be kind—

  For in making others happy we will be happy, too,

  For the happiness you give away returns

  to “shine on you.”

  GİVE LAVİSHLY!

  LİVE ABUNDANTLY!

  The more you give, the more you get

  The more you laugh, the less you fret.

  The more you do unselfishly,

  The more you live abundantly

  The more of everything you share,

  The more you’ll always have to spare.

  The more you love, the more you’ll find

  That life is good and friends are kind,

  For only what we give away

  Enriches us from day to day.

  THE GOLDEN CHAİN OF FRİENDSHİP

  Friendship is a golden chain,

  the links are friends so dear,

  And like a rare and precious jewel,

  it’s treasured more each year.

  It’s clasped together firmly with

  a love that’s deep and true,

  And it’s rich with happy memories

  and fond recollections, too.

  For friendship is a priceless gift

  that can’t be bought or sold,

  And to have an understanding friend

  is worth far more than gold …

  And the golden chain of friendship

  is a strong and blessed tie

  Binding kindred hearts together

  as the years go passing by.

  TODAY’S JOY WAS BORN OF YESTERDAY’S SORROW

  Who said the darkness of the

  night would never turn to day?

  Who said the winter’s bleakness

  would never pass away?

  Who said the fog would never

  lift and let the sunshine through?

  Who said the skies, now overcast,

  would nevermore be blue?

  Why should we ever entertain these

  thoughts so dark and grim

  And let the brightness of our minds

  grow cynical and dim

  When we know beyond all questioning

  that winter turns to spring

  And on the notes of sorrow

  new songs are made to sing?

  For no one sheds a teardrop

  or suffers loss in vain,

  For God is always there to turn

  our losses into gain …

  And every burden borne today

  and every present sorrow

  Are but God’s happy harbingers

  of a joyous, bright tomorrow.

  THY WİLL BE DONE

  God did not promise sun without rain,

  Light without darkness or joy without pain.

  He only promised strength for the day

  When the darkness comes and we lose our way …

  For only through sorrow do we grow more aware

  That God is our refuge in times of despair,

  For when we are happy and life’s bright and fair,

  We often forget to kneel down in prayer …

  But God seems much closer and needed much more

  When trouble and sorrow stand outside our door,

  For then we seek shelter in His wondrous love,

  And we ask him to send us help from above …

  And that is the reason we know it is true

  That bright, shining hours and dark, sad ones, too,

  Are part of the plan God made for each one,

  And all we can pray is “Thy will be done.”

  And know that you are never alone

  For God is your Father and you’re one of His own.

  BE OF GOOD CHEER; THERE’S NOTHİNG TO FEAR

  Cheerful thoughts like sunbeams

  lighten up the darkest fears,

  For when the heart is happy

  there’s just no time for tears,

  And when the face is smiling

  it’s impossible to frown,

  And when you are high-spirited

  you cannot feel low-down …

  For the nature of our attitudes

  toward circumstantial things

  Determines our acceptance of

  the problems that life brings,

  And since fear and dread and

  worry cannot help in any way,

  It’s much healthier and happier

  to be cheerful every day …

  And if you’ll only try it,

  you will find, without a doubt,

  A cheerful attitude’s something

  no one should be without,

  For when the heart is cheerful,

  it cannot be filled with fear,

  And without fear, the way ahead

  seems more distinct and clear,

  And we realize there’s nothing

  that we must face alone,

  For our heavenly Father loves us,

  and our problems are His own.

  A THANKFUL HEART

  Take nothing for granted, for whenever you do,

  The joy of enjoying is lessened for you.

  For we rob our own lives much more than we know

  When we fail to respond or in any way show

  Our thanks for the blessings that daily are ours—

  The warmth of the sun, the fragrance of flowers,

  The beauty of twilight, the freshness of dawn,

  The coolness of dew on a green velvet lawn,

  The kind little deeds so thoughtf
ully done,

  The favors of friends and the love that someone

  Unselfishly gives us in a myriad of ways,

  Expecting no payment and no words of praise.

  Oh, great is our loss when we no longer find

  A thankful response to things of this kind.

  For the joy of enjoying and the fullness of living

  Are found in the heart that is filled with thanksgiving.

  YOU HELPED US BEFORE, GOD, HELP US AGAİN

  O God, our help in ages past,

  our hope in years to be,

  Look down upon this present and

  see our need of Thee …

  For in this age of unrest,

  with danger all around,

  We need Thy hand to lead

  us to a higher, safer ground.

  We need Thy help and counsel

  to make us more aware

  That our safety and security

  lie solely in Thy care,

  And so we pray this Christmas

  to feel Thy presence near

  And for Thy all-wise guidance

  throughout the coming year.

  First, give us understanding,

  enough to make us kind,

  So we may judge all people with

  our hearts and not our minds.

  Then give us strength and

  courage to be honorable and true,

  And place our trust implicitly

  in unseen things and You …

  And help us when we falter

  and renew our faith each day

  And forgive our human errors

  and hear us when we pray,

  And keep us gently humble

  in the greatness of Thy love

  So someday we are fit to dwell

  with Thee in peace above.

  TROUBLE IS A STEPPİNG-STONE TO GROWTH

  Trouble is something no one can escape—

  Everyone has it in some form or shape.

  Some people hide it way down deep inside,

  Some people bear it with gallant-like pride.

  Some people worry and complain of their lot,

  Some people covet what they haven’t got

  While others rebel and become bitter and old

  With hopes that are dead and hearts that are cold …

  But the wise man accepts whatever God sends,

  Willing to yield like a storm-tossed tree bends,

  Knowing that God never made a mistake,

  So whatever He sends they are willing to take …

  For trouble is part and parcel of life,

  And no man can grow without struggle or strife,

  And the steep hills ahead and the high mountain peaks

  Afford man at last the peace that he seeks …

  So blessed are the people who learn to accept

  The trouble men try to escape and reject,

  For in accordance we’re given great grace

  And courage and faith and strength to face

  The daily troubles that come to us all,

  So we may learn to stand straight and tall …

  For the grandeur of life is born of defeat,

  For in overcoming we make life complete.

  THE MYSTERY OF PRAYER

  Beyond that which words can

  interpret or theology explain,

  The soul feels a shower of refreshment

  that falls like the gentle rain

  On hearts that are parched with problems

  and are searching to find the way

  To somehow attract God’s attention

  through well-chosen words as they pray,

  Not knowing that God in His wisdom

  can sense all man’s worry and woe,

  For there is nothing man can conceal

  that God does not already know …

  So kneel in prayer in His presence

  and you’ll find no need to speak,

  For softly in quiet communion,

  God grants you the peace that you seek.

  AFTER THE WİNTER …

  GOD SENDS THE SPRİNG

  Springtime is a season of hope and joy and cheer—

  There’s beauty all around us to

  see and touch and hear …

  So no matter how downhearted

  and discouraged we may be,

  New hope is born when we

  behold leaves budding on a tree

  For this is just God saying,

  “Lift up your eyes to Me,

  And the bleakness of your spirit,

  like the budding springtime tree,

  Will lose its wintry darkness

  and your heavy heart will sing.”

  For God never sends the winter

  without the joy of spring.

  THİS TOO WİLL PASS AWAY

  If I can endure for this minute

  whatever is happening to me

  No matter how heavy my heart is or

  how dark the moment might be—

  If I can remain calm and quiet with

  all my world crashing about me,

  Secure in the knowledge God loves me

  when everyone else seems to doubt me—

  If I can but keep on believing what

  I know in my heart to be true,

  That darkness will fade with the morning

  and that this will pass away, too—

  Then nothing in life can defeat me,

  for as long as this knowledge remains,

  I can suffer whatever is happening,

  for I know God will break all the chains

  That are binding me tight in the darkness

  and trying to fill me with fear …

  For there is no night without dawning,

  and I know that my morning is near.

  EVERYONE NEEDS SOMEONE

  People need people and friends need friends,

  And we all need love for a full life depends

  Not on vast riches or great acclaim,

  Not on success or on worldly fame,

  But just in knowing that someone cares

  And holds us close in their thoughts and prayers—

  For only the knowledge that we’re understood

  Makes everyday living feel wonderfully good,

  And we rob ourselves of life’s greatest need

  When we lock up our hearts and fail to heed

  The outstretched hand reaching to find

  A kindred spirit whose heart and mind

  Are lonely and longing to somehow share

  Our joys and sorrows and to make us aware

  That life’s completeness and richness depends

  On the things we share with our loved ones and friends.

  WE CAN’T, BUT GOD CAN

  Why things happen as they do

  we do not always know,

  And we cannot always fathom

  why our spirits sink so low.

  We flounder in our dark distress,

  we are wavering and unstable,

  But when we’re most inadequate,

  the Lord God’s always able—

  For though we are incapable,

  God’s powerful and great,

  And there’s no darkness of the

  mind God cannot penetrate …

  And all that is required of us

  whenever things go wrong

  Is to trust in God implicitly with

  a faith that’s deep and strong …

  And while He may not instantly

  unravel all the strands

  Of the tangled thoughts that trouble us,

  He completely understands—

  And in His time, if we have faith,

  He will gradually restore

  The brightness to our spirits that

  we’ve been longing for …

  So remember there’s no cloud too

  dark for God’s light to penetrate

  If we keep on believing and

  have faith enoug
h to wait.

  YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW

  Yesterday’s dead, tomorrow’s unborn,

  So there’s nothing to fear and nothing to mourn,

  For all that is past and all that has been

  Can never return to be lived once again …

  And what lies ahead or the things that will be

  Are still in God’s hands, so it is not up to me

  To live in the future that is God’s great unknown,

  For the past and the present God claims for His own …

  So all I need do is to live for today

  And trust God to show me the truth and the way,

  For it’s only the memory of things that have been

  And expecting tomorrow to bring trouble again

  That fills my today, which God wants to bless,

  With uncertain fears and borrowed distress …

  For all I need live for is this one little minute,

  For life’s here and now and eternity’s in it.

  THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD

  You ask me how I know it’s

  true that there is a living God.

  A God who rules the universe—

  the sky, the sea, the sod—

  A God who holds all creatures

  in the hollow of His hand,

  A God who put infinity in

  one tiny grain of sand,

  A God who made the seasons—winter,

  summer, fall, and spring—

  And put His flawless rhythm

  into each created thing,

  A God who hangs the sun out

  slowly with the break of day

  And gently takes the stars

  in and puts the night away,

  A God whose mighty handiwork

  defies the skill of man,

  For no architect can alter

  God’s perfect master plan.

  What better answers are there

  to prove His holy being

  Than the wonders all around us

  that are ours just for the seeing.

  THE WAY TO GOD

  If my days were untroubled and my heart always light,