Hopefulness, Eagerness, Kindliness, and Gentleness

Many years ago, much earlier in my faith journey, I was praying at the Chapel at our local Newman Center. I asked God to show me how to live my life for Him, how to be a good wife and a good mother.  I was struggling with a lack of peace, with a lack of hope, and with a great deal of anger.  So often, I have doubts about my ability to be a good wife and mother, and back then I felt so alone with these doubts and with my own sin.  It seemed like everyone else around me had it so together, but I have since learned that many people, if not all, have these types of doubts.  I have also learned that all of us are fighting some type of battle, and that it is in our weakness that we find the strength of Christ, if only we turn to Him in our troubles.  And I am learning to love others the way God does, both in their weaknesses and in their strengths.

That day, He answered my prayer as I opened the hymnal to this song:




In this song, God gave me a way to look to Him at each moment of the day, with hopefulness and joy at the break of the day, with eagerness and faith at the noon of the day, with kindliness and grace at the eve of the day, and with gentleness and calm at the end of the day.  With the gift of looking to Him as He is, He gives us bliss, strength, love, and peace.  Now, I will be the first to admit that I forget this often, probably more often that not.  But He reminded me today, as I heard this song again earlier this evening (as Be Thou My Vision) while sitting in the living room with my husband after dinner, that the peace we have is His, and I am so grateful for His peace in our hearts. 

Lord of All Hopefulness

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.



Note:  edited for clarity.