Beautiful Loss

Amen.

Faithful First in Little Things

"Then, dear Katy, suppose your first act of heroism tomorrow should be gratifying your mother in these little things, little though they are. Surely your first duty, next to pleasing God, is to please your mother and in every possible way to sweeten and beautify her life. You may depend upon it that a life of real heroism and self-sacrifice must begin and lay its foundation in this little world wherein it learns its first lesson and takes its first steps."

"And do you really think that God notices such little things?

"My dear child, what a question! If there is any one truth I would gladly impress on the mind of a young Christian, it is just this, that God notices the most trivial , accepts the poorest, most threadbare little service, listens to the coldest, feeblest petition, and gathers up with parental fondness all our fragmentary desires and attempts at good works. Oh, if we would only begin to conceive how He loves us, what different creatures we should be!" ~ entry for March 17, 1834, Stepping Heavenward.

[These words of wisdom from Mrs. Cabot to Katy are important words for any young lady of any time period.]

New Year Prayer

"May this prayer, which, under the inspiration of the moment, I can offer without a misgiving, become the habitual, deep-seated desire of my soul. 'Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give--my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength, nights, days, youth, age--and spend them in Thy service, O my crucified Master, Redeemer, God. ..'" ~ Katy, Stepping Heavenward, entry dated January 1, 1853

Real Progress

". . . I do not understand how a Christian can make such slow progress as I do and how old faults can hang on so.

If I had made any real progress, should I not be sensible of it?

I have been reading over the early part of this journal, and when I came to the conversation I had with Mrs. Cabot, in which I made a list of wants, I was astonished that I could ever have had such contemptible ones. Let me think what I really and truly most want now.

First of all, then, if God should speak to me at this moment and offer to give just one thing and that alone, I should say without hesitation, Love to Thee, O my Master!

Next to that, if I could have one thing more, I would choose to be a thoroughly unselfish, devoted wife. Down in my secret heart I know there lurks another wish, which I am ashamed of. It is that in some way or other, some right way, I could be delivered from Martha and her father. I shall never be any better while they are here to tempt me!" ~ From Stepping Heavenward, (entry on her first wedding anniversary, dated January 16, 1838.)

[We see, though, that actually she had made real progress, based on what she wanted at this point in time. Of course, she was wrong about the last one. I do believe dealing with Martha and Father had a good deal to do with her growth in Christ. ` mr]

Note: This is a repeat of a post made May, 2011.

Praise Him, Praise Him, Jesus Our Blessed Redeemer.

Hiding in Him

I have seen the time when I could hide myself in Him as a little child hides in its mother's arms, and so have thousands of aching hearts.~ EP

[And oh how true. ~ mr]

A Wish

Oh that with ready grace my heart could give

What God requires;

That there within it lived no grasping will

No fond desires.

It grieves, it pains me that I do not fly

O Christ, to Thee,

To lay this treasure at Thy feet, with sweet

Alacrity.

Yet take it from me; if I love it much

I love Thee more,--

But pity, as Thou takest, for it leaves

my heart so sore!

~ From Golden Hours: Heart-Hymns of the Christian Life.