Give Your All For God

Music has always been an important part of my life.  My kids were amazed at first at my ability to name most any rock/pop tune from the last 20 years within 10 seconds. Now they wonder how I can remember this, but forget to give them lunch money!  I digress.

I grew up in a wonderful church, Mclaurin Heights Baptist Church, with a wonderful Minister of Music, Eric McNair.  Eric brings so much enthusiasm to the music, that it was and is a great blessing to me.

Most all of the hymns, were the “old” hymns.  I like a lot of the contemporary hymns, but the words, and melodies of the old hymns have been burned in, and bring hope, and encouragement in times of trouble.

With this in mind,  Near to the Heart of God, is one of my favorites.

There is a place of quiet rest,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest,
Near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God,
Hold us who wait before Thee
Near to the heart of God.

There is a place of comfort sweet,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where we our Savior meet,
Near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God,
Hold us who wait before Thee
Near to the heart of God.

There is a place of full release,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where all is joy and peace,
Near to the heart of God.

I think the writer of this song, may have been thinking of a place like this.

Thomas and I spent last night working on his pinewood derby car. Well, I did. Thomas and I were at loggerheads almost from the moment that I got home. “Clean up the dishes” I said. “blah, blah, blah blah” he heard. “Feed Lucky” I said. “Blah blah” he heard. Finally I got fed up, and sent him to bed around, oh 6:30pm.

Thomas has a wonderful way of apologizing when he has messed up, and last night while on our way to Home Depot, (yeah he went to bed for all of about 3 minutes) he said “Dad, I’m sorry”. “Sorry for what” I pushed. “Anything that I did or might do over the next hours” he said. That was priceless.

Thomas’s response is sort of like my prayers sometimes: God forgive me if I have done anything wrong, and kinda keep an eye out because I feel like I am gonna mess up here soon. I am so glad that God is a more loving and patient father than I am.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 7:9-11