God Tugging at the Heartstrings

Teach me, O Lord, thy way of truth,

And from it I will not depart;

That I may steadfastly obey,

Give me an understanding heart.

~~From Psalm 119:33-40

I've decided it would be better to start posting the Aunt Jane's Hero summaries written out here rather than linking to the ones at my devotional blog. In case you haven't been here before, I had started with these posts a few years ago, summarizing the chapters from a little companion work I had written for this beloved work by Miss Prentiss. I'm trying to pick up the ones already completed there and hopefully do more as time and opportunity allow. We've done three of these summaries so far, and now we'll pick up another one:

  Chapter 4 is next up and since time is short, this summary may need to be short. The title that I gave to this chapter in the companion explains what I believe to be its essence. God was having dealings with someone and if you've been following along, you know that someone would be Horace. The chapter begins with a description of his moving about in society after the Georgiana situation--dancing parties, threatricals, music festivals and so on. But in the midst of observing him in these settings we are told this: "But he went home from these gay scenes out of spirits, and in spite of himself had his hours of reflection, when there came to him uncomfortable intimations that he was not living the true life for which he was born." Ahh, stirrings in his heart. Where might they have come from?

Soon after these words came an important paragraph:

"Now there was a man of a sorrowful countenance and of a sorrowful spirit away off in a little country-town, praying for his only son at these very moments, and his prayers were going to prevail. . . And ever and anon when he was pleading for his son with strong crying and tears, there would surge up in the soul of that son unwelcome, painful thoughts; recollections of his mother and his mother's teachings, faint yearnings for a faith and a practice like hers. He wist not whence they came. . ."

Obviously, the man who was praying was Horace's father. If you will recall, his mother had passed away. After reading this, I was struck by the truth of the words of James 5:16 that the "effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." This is a promise that we parents should cling to. I think it's a promise that should give impetus to the prayers of parents whose children are not at the place they wish them to be. Perhaps, these children will some day experience "faint yearnings" for more faith, a life that's different. These yearnings, even if they are weak, would probably come from God, and could it be that He would have been sent to your children by your prayers?

Many of us are thankful for where our children seem to be in the Lord. But certainly that is no reason for us to ease up with our prayers. I like what Stormie Omartian said in her book The Power of a Praying Parent. She said:

"All that needs to happen in our lives and the lives of our children cannot happen without the presence and power of God. Prayer invites and ignites both."

Moms and dads, shall we not persist in prayer?

My Jesus I Love Thee

So Be It

So be it; 'tis Thy plan not mine,

And being Thine is good;

And God, my will shall yield to Thine

Ere it is understood.

So be it; I a child of dust

Will not oppose Thy way,

Move on, mysterious Will, I trust,

I love, and will obey.

So be it; and do Thou, my heart,

No childish questions ask,

Thou in God's counsels hast no part,

Crave not so hard a task.

 

So be it; yes, so be it, Lord,

No word have I to say--

O be Thy gracious Name adored--

I love and will obey.

~ From  Golden Hours, Heart-Hymns of the Christian Life

Good Motherly Advice

Mother has just gone. Her visit has done me a world of good. She found out something to like in Father at once and then something good in Martha. She says Father's sufferings are real, not fancied, that his error is not knowing where to locate his disease, and is starving one week and overeating the next. She charged me not to lay up future misery for myself by misjudging him now and to treat him as a daughter ought without the smallest regard t his appreciation of it. Then as to Martha, she declares that I have no idea how much she does to reduce our expenses, to keep the house in order, and relieve us from care. "But, Mother," I said, "did you notice what horrid butter we have? And it is all her doing."

"But the butter won't last forever," she replied. "Don't make yourself miserable about such a trifle. For my part, it is a great relief to me to know that with your delicate health you have this tower of strength to lean on."

"But my health is not delicate, Mother."

"You certainly look pale and thin."

"Oh well," I said, whereupon she fell to giving me all sorts of advice about getting up on step ladders, and climbing on chairs, and sewing too much, and all that.

~ Stepping Heavenward, April 30, 1838 entry.

[Oh, to be one to find something good in everyone and to give such godly counsel to one's daughter. What an example Katy's mom is to us all. And as to the delicate health situation as referenced to by her mother, indeed she was in delicate health, as you'll see Katy was about four months along in pregnancy here, since looking ahead you find she gives birth to her first child some time on or before October 4th. {smile} ~ mr]

Seen by God

A woman should not live for, or even desire, fame. This is yet more true of a Christian woman. If I had not steadily suppressed all such ambition, I might have become a sour, disappointed woman, seeing my best work unrecognized. But it has been my wish to

 

"Dare to be little and unknown,

Seen and loved by God alone."

~ From letter to Mr. Cady, written in 1878. Mrs. Prentiss died later that year.

Nearer

Oh Jesus, draw nearer,

And make Thyself dearer,

I yearn, I am yearning for Thee;

Come take for Thy dwelling,

The heart that is swelling

With longings Thy beauty to see!

How languid and weary,

How lonely and dreary,

The days when Thou hidest Thy face;

How sorrow and sadness

Are turned into gladness,

By a glimpse of its love and its grace.

Come nearer, come nearer,

And make Thyself dearer,

Thou joy, thou delight of my heart.

Close, close to Thee pressing

I long for Thy blessing,

I cannot without it depart.

~ Golden Hours, Heart-Hymns of the Christian Life, 1873

Another Lesson Learned

I have had a new lesson that has almost broke my heart. In looking over his father's papers, Ernest found a little journal, brief in its records indeed; but we learn from it that on all those weddings and birthdays, when I fancied his austere religion made him hold aloof from our merrymaking, he was spending the time in fasting and praying for us and for our children! Oh, shall I ever learn the sweet charity that thinketh no evil and believeth all things! What blessings may not have descended upon us and our children through those prayers! What evils may they not have warded off! Dear old Father! Oh, that I could once more put my loving arms about him and bid him welcome to our home! And how gladly would I now confess to him all my unjust judgments concerning him and entreat him for forgiveness! Must life always go on thus? Must I always be erring, ignorant and blind? How I hate this arrogant sweeping past my brother man, this utter ignoring of his hidden life! ~ Stepping Heavenward, April, 1844 entry

[Let me just say this. This entry by Katy caused an explosion of tears from my eyes more than any other in the entire book. I'll just leave it at that. mr]