How I Met Sam...Journal Entry 10th December 1999

I'm going to write the boring day-t0-day events since that's what I feel like journalling right now. I 'taught' 3 hours today - it was little kids who are pretty much too young to learn how to read or write. One can barely hold a pencil. So I do the best I can. Immediately following that I went to KBC (the Church I grew up in and went to pre-school at) for GraceJoy's Christmas show, which turned out okay. I saw a kid start to cry when he was on stage and felt horrible for him. I noticed my eyes fill with tears...and then I caught myself. I though how difficult it must be for the parent to be there in the audience and see his/her child crying and not be able to reach out and comfort him. This kid really did inspire me though, because though he was crying and upset he still was singing and doing the motions in the song. I thought, 'Wow, if he were my kid I'd be SO proud - proud that my kid could stick through a tough situation and keep going - that he could still put himself into the production though he was distressed.' How proud our Heavenly Father must feel when He sees us, crying and hurt, and yet with our hand to the plough, working to perform the task at hand. I also thought how unskilled the singing was - any group of youngsters who can't carry a tune will sound like that! - and how that doesn't really matter, because they know and mean the words they're singing. Often our praise goes up to God and to His ears (which are perfect of course!) may just sound more than off-key. But just as everyone in the audience sat on the edge of their seats to hear and see the children sing, and especially the parents, so must our Father in heaven sit on the edge of His throne to see and hear us praise Him with our best gusto and effort! These children taught me a lot today - about worship, perseverance and God - and His delight in the praise of His children.

Isaac Watts penned the famous hymn, Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun. Here are a couple verses of it:

To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head;
His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.

_____________________________

Because of all that's happened in the previous weeks I've realized that our Christmas may be a little sparse this year. As I've been writing about contentedness I am understanding it more and more. I wish I had more money to give. I wish I could gather up all the fragments of resources and bless those who are hurting with it.

To continue with our budding romance, click Here (first dates - 4)