Fest wie ein Felsen

We sang a hymn up to speed today, and it was one of my favorite hymns. "How Firm a Foundation" has words that seem to mean very little after a while. It was a street-preach song when I lived in Germany, which means I sang it several times a week. 
But it has a few verses that caught my spirit up today. I'm reproducing them here with absolutely no permissions whatsoever.

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow.
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress."

I'm not sure if my distress is at its deepest, but I feel overwhelmed. I taught my students today about having the strength to ask for forgiveness, and I was threatened again with despair. Perhaps I will be forgiven, but how will I survive the consequences? What kind of wreck will I be when I emerge from the other side? I would never have done otherwise than confess and apologize. I did wrongly, and I have to accept worldly judgement.

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee, I only design
thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine."

Even if this world's trials mean being crippled, if I have ruined all chances of seeing my dreams come true, if the destroying angel decided to camp out in my front yard and catch me coming and going I will live yet, because I know in whom I have trusted. If the earth burns away beneath me there are still omnipotent hands between me and hell. Maybe when I come through this gauntlet I will emerge damaged and disfigured to the world. Then I will be better for it. I wager my soul on that miracle.

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