Whether your days in this season are full of "busy-ness" (like mine of late!) or quietness, suffering or uncertainty, the words in the following poem give us sound advice to follow.
I read these words in The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot. This poem, author unknown, was found copied in a notebook belonging to her mother.
From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the hours the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: "DOE THE NEXTE THYNGE."
Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, guidance, are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, doe the nexte thynge.
Do it immediately, do it with prayers;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
Leave all resulting, doe the nexte thynge.
Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then as He beckons thee, doe the nexte thynge.
Whatever challenges we face today, let's trust Jesus' leading and do the next thing!
"Do the next thing." What great advice. I heard it several years ago, and I try to follow this maxim because, when life gets overwhelming, it's all you can do.
ReplyDeleteYou've quoted from this book a couple of times now, and I love Elisabeth Elliot anyway, so now I really, really want to read this book!
Have you tried the chocolate coffee cake yet?
Yes, I've tried the chocolate coffee cake and it was pretty good! I didn't do the whole topping part - just sprinkled some chocolate chips on the top - and it still wasn't overly sweet, which is good, since I did serve it for breakfast! :) It turned out a little dry, though, so I'll just reduce the flour a little bit next time. I use a white whole wheat flour which tends to soak up liquids more, so if you use a regular all-purpose flour, it should be just fine.
DeleteSo simple, but so quality: do the next thing! ♥
ReplyDelete