Rocking Horses – Christmas 2012

The horses are all built and in the stable – waiting to ride on Santa’s sleigh to the homes of the good little Jarding Boys, their wonderful wives and fiancé’s, and a couple of grandkids. Kolbe actually got their family’s horse last Christmas, but he has pastured him at our house this last year. Each of the boys will have one horse for their children to share.

I have enjoyed the process of cutting, shaping, sanding, and finishing these three oak rocking horses. As I was putting the finish laquer coat on this last week, I imagined Jameson, Kolbe, and all of our future grandchildren rocking back and forth on the horses off on some adventure. I also kept thinking about how I was blessed by God to be able to build wood things and pieces of furniture off and on in my lifetime. I used to build a lot of stuff - then got married – had four wonderful sons – built three family homes for us in there - got a job as a Sioux Falls Fire Fighter, and got too busy to have much “free” time. One of the gifts of this disease prognosis has been that God gave me a shortened schedule, so I had to get a few of those items built that I wanted to get done. I like to spend my spare time out there tinkering in my little shop, but I don’t like deadlines anymore. I plan to work on a few more items yet, God willing. There might be a doll cradle coming for Jameson, but don’t let her know yet.

I have had some light headedness, dizziness, and not feeling the best over the past three weeks. My blood pressure was quite high at my last doctor’s appointment. The Avastin I get infused with can cause elevated blood pressure. My pressure had held steady for several months, but then shot up quite a bit. That explained the headaches and weird feelings for me. I am now on a drug to lower the blood pressure, which will take 7 to 10 days to work. I got really bad headaches a couple of nights earlier this week. I was putting coats of a fast drying laquer finish on the rocking horses, and I suspect the fumes from that did not help my headaches. I got a script for pain pills to use for the headaches, and a little dose of steroids to get back on now. I know they will make me feel better - I just don’t want the side affects I had earlier – large red face and eat like a horse – can’t sleep. This is a much much smaller dosage, so I am hoping it won’t hit me so hard. I really have nothing to complain about - many better people than I are suffering a lot more from their cancers. I have been feeling pretty good overall, and feel that God has truly blessed us this Holiday Season. Make it a great week!

I am including some pictures of the rocking horses waiting to leave the starting gate. That older heavy set gentlemen is me on Christmas goodies.

Merry Christmas to all of you, and God Bless you for the many prayers you have been saying for our family.

Joseph’s First Christmas

I was reading from “One Incredible Moment” this morning. One of the first chapters is about Joseph and what he must have been thinking that first Christmas.

He had come to terms with Mary’s pregnancy by the Holy Spirit. He was probably thinking that the messiah would be born in the temple at Jerusalem with family and friends gathered around along with the high priests and much joyous celebration. At the very least, the baby could have been born in Nazareth where Joseph had a house and his work shop.

Instead, he had to take his pregnant young wife on a journey to Bethlehem with her bouncing down the road on the back of a donkey. Once there he could not find her a room or even a warm bed for the night. All he found for them was a manger - all he had for her to lie on was the blanket from the donkeys back and the manger filled with animals for warmth. None of Mary’s family or friends was present, no midwife to help with the birth - he did not have much to offer her, but she did not complain. They had to have a lot of faith in God.

The only guests they had that first Christmas night were poor shepherds from the fields. I would assume they did get to hear the chorus of angels that had sung to the shepherds, but we don’t even know that for sure.

So, the savior of the world slips almost unnoticed into the world with a confused stepfather wondering how God’s plan was going to work out. Joseph had a lot of faith, but he also had to have a few questions about this journey the Holy Family had just begun.

God Bless each of you, and have a Blessed and Joy Filled Advent Season!

Advent 2012

I hope this finds each of you in good health and having a good start to the Christmas Season. As you scurry about getting ready for the celebration of Christmas, I hope that you take some time each day in thoughtful prayer talking to God about the coming of His greatest gift ever - the birth of His Son. Advent has now started. Max Lucado wrote a great little book a few years back called “One Incredible Moment” Celebrating the Majesty of the Manger. It is one of the best books I have found to get you in the right frame of mind for the coming of Christ’s birth.

Faith Hope & Love

1 Corinthians 13:13

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

God is Love. It is as simple as that. God is pure Love. Do you know why the greatest of these three gifts is Love? When we pass from this life to eternity with God, we will not need to have Faith that God exists, because we will see Him. We will not need to Hope in the resurrection because we will have been through it and know that it is true. We will see that God is pure Love and his Love for us does not ever end. That is why “the greatest of these gifts is Love!”

God, who is Love, created man in His image and likeness. That means we are closer to God in our makeup than any other creature He created. He meant for man and woman to walk and communicate with Him regularly. But, we were tempted by Lucifer, made a poor choice, and fell into sin. God did not abandon us - He still Loves us and promised to send a Savior for all of us. We did lose the chance to see God and talk with Him face to face daily - we did get kicked out of the Garden of Eden, and we do now have to face death. But, God sent us the savior He promised - His Son, Jesus was born on Christmas and He came to bring us God’s own Word. Jesus dwelt with us - He lived, worked, ate, drank, and suffered like we do. He celebrated at the wedding of a family friend when He turned water into wine at His mother’s request. This first miracle shows us that God Blesses the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman as a Holy Covenant. He cried at the tomb of His friend, Lazarus just as we cry when our loved ones die. Jesus cried, even though He knew that He would shortly bring Lazarus back from the dead and that someday Lazarus would be in heaven for eternity. Think about that one!

 Jesus walked this earth for thirty three years, preaching God’s Word for the last three. What did mankind do? We beat Him and hung Him on a cross - but God the Father still did not give up on us - rather, Jesus opened the way to heaven for each of us by His death and suffering. Think about that for just a moment, and thank God for that every night before you go to sleep.

This is the Year of Faith in the Catholic Church. Take the time to thank God for your Faith and then reach out to someone else and share some of your Faith with them. God Bless each of you, and have a Blessed and Joy Filled Advent Season!

The First Principle and Foundation

I got this prayer from Deacon John at our church. I have started to say the prayer each morning, as I think it is a great way to start the day. Sort of gets your head on straight before you face the world each morning. Enjoy.

The First Principle and Foundation

The goal of our life is to live with God forever.

God who loves us, gave us life.

Our own response of Love allows God’s life to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that

We can know God more easily and make a return of Love more readily.

As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God

insofar as they help us develop as Loving persons.

But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives,

they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance

 before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice

and are not bound by some obligation.

We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty,

success or failure, a long life or short one.

For everything has the potential of calling forth in us

a deeper response to our life in God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this:

I want and I choose what better leads to the deepening of God’s Life in me.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Thanksgiving - 2012

Today is November 22, 2012 – Thanksgiving Day. This day gives us pause to reflect on the many things we are thankful for. I decided to send out an article listing the some of the many things I am thankful for this year:

I am thankful to God for creating me in the first place – for allowing me to wake up this morning and to enjoy this beautiful day with family and friends.  I thank God for His grace which gives me the strength to get through the many trials that I face every day all year long. I thank God for the Hope I have in an eternal life with Him in heaven – for the Faith I have to believe that He does exist, that He did create the world and me, and that He does Love me enough to have sent His Son down to earth to tell us about His Father. I am thankful that God loves mankind enough that He did not give up on us when Adam and Eve fell into sin, giving all of us a fallen nature that wants to move away from God and toward the easier path of sin. I am thankful that God’s pure Love for all of us allowed Him to forgive us even after we beat His Son to death and hung Him on a cross to die. All we have to do is love God back and love our neighbors in a similar fashion. Not too tough, but we make it quite a job sometimes.

I am also thankful for all of you who have been praying for me and for our family during this past year. I know that the reason I am doing well so far is because of all of the people praying for us. I am lifted up by your prayers and thoughts!

I am thankful for Margaret – words make it hard to describe how much I love her. She is such a strong person and has been so good through all of this. I have the easy job here, and she has the tough job. I get to move on to heaven, once my journey here is done, and she has to stay behind for a time and carry on. I think God chose her to remain because she is much stronger than I could ever hope to be. I told Margaret that I will be waiting for her on a bench just inside the gates of heaven.

I am thankful for all of our sons, their wives, and our grandchildren, Kolbe and Jameson. I know this has been a hard year for all of them, but they are doing a great job and have been very supportive and helpful through all of this.

I am thankful for all of our friends and for the Rosary Club we belong to, for Father Chuck, Father Joe, and for all of the priests in our lives and in this area who pray for us and have supported us. I am thankful for Cheryl Prunty and the faith she has shown me over the years of her battle with cancer. I am thankful for the Circle of Hope group of people out in the Hartford area who are fighting cancer in their lives.

I am thankful to Sioux Fall Fire Rescue and the many great friends I have on that department.

I am thankful to my Mom and Dad and to all of the Jarding family. They have rallied at our side through all of this, they continue to pray for us and for each other, and they pray and support our relatives who are fighting cancer as well.

Finally, I am thankful to Mary, the virgin mother of God. She has been my rock and my go to person through this journey. I pray to her each day, and she intercedes on my behalf to her son, Jesus Christ. If I can’t sleep, I pray the rosary. During radiation treatments, I prayed the rosary. During infusions, I pray the rosary. When we are going in for an MRI of my brain, I pray the rosary. Mary loves all of us, and she is our mother up in heaven. I have said at least one rosary per day for many years now – if you do not pray the rosary, start. It will change your life!

God Bless all of you, and have a Happy Thanksgiving Season!

 

Rocking Horses

I have had this project going for a few months now, maybe even, longer.  I have always loved wooden rocking horses. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors, just like people, I guess. Each horse has a story behind it. They take time to cut, shape, glue, and finish, and each was built by a craftsman who loved what he does.

When John, our youngest son, was born, I had a pattern for a wooden rocking horse that I wanted to build for him. I decided to ask my dad to build that horse, and he did a great job. I know the horse gave him some challenges, but Johnny received a beautiful oak rocking horse from Grandpa Jarding. The horse is a nice stained piece of oak, and will be a family heirloom for generations to come. I imagine a few generations hence, when true craftsmanship is all but forgotten, and everything is built with computer-guided machinery, some great grandchild of ours will ride that horse and I hope his parents will tell the story about Great-Great Grandpa Jim Jarding who built that horse. They will tell him that Grandpa Jim was a farmer for the first part of his life, and was always a farmer at heart. He took a job carrying mail in the early sixties. He loved carrying mail, and made a lot of good friends over the years. Grandpa Jim built many different things for us. He welded a steel pipe swingset for us while still on the farm. If something needed to be built or fixed, he just did it. He was a pretty handy guy with tools. Our sister, Connie, was born with Cerebal Palsey, and could not stand or walk. Dad built little walkers for her from steel pipe and wood, while mom sewed seats for the walkers out of leather and cloth. Connie had several tables built for her by dad so she would have a place to stand and watch mom working in the kitchen. Dad even built her first wheel chairs from steel well pipe and casters.

That is probably where I got my urge to make things. I always liked working with wood, and, thanks to the genetics from Dad, I was able to have some success at it.

I planned to build a rocking horse for each of my son’s families when the time came. I build Kolbe an oak horse last Christmas. I thought I had plenty of time to build the other three. God has put me on an accelerated plan now, so I am trying to get these other three horses done for this Christmas, and I will make that. I will also have to build a dolly cradle later this spring for one little granddaughter.

I had decided to cut out all three sets of parts at the same time to “mass produce” these three horses. The process moves along, but when working with 1 ½” And 2” oak boards, the wood is hard, and the wood does not always cooperate with the tools shaping it. I have found that I had to re-glue and re-cut some pieces, as the router knocked out large chunks of oak at the most unexpected times. The grain of the wood has a lot to do with this. As the rapidly spinning router blade moves along to shape the oak piece, sometimes the grain is a bit rough or moving into a knotty area, and the router tears out a larger piece than I had hoped it would. The wood worker, me, has to then not swear, go get another piece of oak, cut and glue it, and shape it to the pattern of the piece I need. This has been a process, but I do enjoy the process. I try to be patient, and it has been going well. I try to take a faith lesson from all of this, and here it is.

We are all like pieces of uncut raw wood in the hands of the Master Woodworker. He, through life’s trials, tests, and blessings, cuts us to the pattern we are to be. As He shapes us, I think sometimes we fight back, and our stubborn and sinful ways can cause his machinery to tear out a large chunk of wood. He patiently glues back the piece and continues to shape us into the beautiful creation we are meant to be. Sometimes He has to almost start over with the process in some of us, but He doesn’t get angry and throw us aside, He keeps working with us until we become what He knows we can be. I suppose the pieces that just won’t cooperate end up in the fire pit pile, like my scraps do.

As my future grandchildren ride their rocking horses, I hope they squeal with joy and have big smiles on their faces. They will have lots of fun on their horses, and both Grandpa Jim and Great Grandpa Jim will be up in heaven smiling down on them and watching them have fun.

I have been feeling pretty good, and feel that God has truly Blessed me and my family this Thanksgiving. Make it a great week, and enjoy God’s many Blessings!

The Master Refiner

   I have been doing very well for the better part of the summer and fall. I believe that it is a result of all of your prayers for us and the Masses that are offered for us, as well as some good medical care. I am truly blessed. I looked out the living room window this morning after reading the meditation that follows, and I saw a male and a female red cardinal sitting on the garden fence! The first red cardinals I have seen for several months. God is good!

    I thought I would share the meditation with all of you, since it struck me as very fitting for all of us, and especially for me. I start off with a bit of scripture:

Malachi Chapter 3:1-3

1)   Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his temple. Behold he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts. [2] And who shall be able to think of the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see him? for he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller's herb: [3] And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice.

Meditation For October 29^th Taken From “Streams In The Desert”

     Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the refiner’s fire. It is with the most precious metal that a metallurgist will take the greatest care. He subjects the metal to a hot fire, for only the refiner’s fire will melt the metal, release the dross, and allow the remaining, pure metal to take a new and perfect shape in the mold.

     A good refiner never leaves the crucible but, as the above verse indicates, “will sit” down by it so the fire will not become even one degree too hot and possibly harm the metal. And as soon as he skims the last bit of dross from the surface and sees his face reflected in the pure metal, he extinguishes the fire.

 

Author Tappan Pierson

He sat by the fire of sevenfold heat,

As He looked at the precious ore,

And closer He bent with a searching gaze,

As He heated it more and more.

He knew He had ore that could stand the test,

And He wanted the finest gold

To mold as a crown for the King to wear,

Set with gems with a price untold.

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,

Though we would have asked for delay,

And He watched the dross that we had not seen,

And it melted and passed away.

And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,

But our eyes were so dim with tears,

We saw but the fire – not the Master’s hand,

And questioned with anxious fears.

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,

As it mirrored a Form above,

That bent o’er the fire, though unseen by us,

With a look of unspeakable love.

Should we think that it pleases His loving heart

To cause us a moment’s pain?

Not so! For He saw through the present cross

The joy of eternal gain.

So He waited there with a watchful eye,

With love that is strong and sure,

And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat,

Than was needed to make it pure.

 

Doesn’t that just about smack you between the eyes? We always wonder why people have to suffer, but God, the Master Refiner, has a plan for each of us. He did not say He came to take away our suffering, but to share in it with us.

Take care, have a great day, and God Bless all of you who are praying for our family as we journey down this road.

The Road Not Taken

    I have been feeling well, and things are going fairly well. We have been pretty busy with things, and that makes time race along, which is kind of sad, but time marches on for all of us. Margaret and I took a few days and spent some time in the Black Hills. It was beautiful out there, and we went on some walks together. One hike took us from Spearfish Canyon Lodge up to Roughlock Falls. On that path, we stopped to take a few photos. This little trail led off up the hill by itself, and reminded me of “The road not taken” by Robert Frost. I had always liked that poem, and have pasted it below for those of you who may not have committed it to memory from your elementary school days. I had this poem written on a piece of paper in the shape of a footprint and kept it near my desk at Sioux Falls Fire Rescue. It reminds me that we are all on our own journeys, and that there are times when we need to go off onto “the road not taken” - that we do not have to follow everyone else to follow God’s plans for us. 

 Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

I seem to be going down a road less traveled once again at this point in my life’s journey. I do not know that I would have chosen this fork in the trail, but I have always been one for a new trail when out hunting or hiking, so it seems fitting. I have met a lot of great people and seen many beautiful things on my journey, and have few major regrets. God has steered me more toward Himself these past few months, though I always knew He was there. I was just too busy many times to take the time to visit with Him as I should have. Now I seem to have that time, and it is amazing what He is still teaching me.

Take care, have a great day, and God Bless all of you who are praying for our family as we journey down this road.      

Kolbe's Dance Moves

October 10, 2012

            It has been a good fall for us so far. I have felt pretty good, and have been able to do some traveling with Margaret. The time we have been able to spend together has been great, and we both cherish those times we have had together.

                        John’s O’Gorman High School Soccer Team got second at the state tournament in Aberdeen. That was a cold experience for all of us, but we had a chance to see some great soccer games, and we had a good time. We were home for about 20 hours, and we got back into the car to drive down to Omaha for the long weekend. We saw our favorite two grandchildren, and John visited Creighton University’s campus on Monday. We had a great weekend, and enjoyed the time with Mark, Sara, and their family. Kolbe’s dance video is back to Mark now, so I need to have them post it on this blog so you guys can see the little guy dance. After you watch him for a few moments, you will see where his natural dance talents come from.

                        Next week on Monday I have an MRI of the old pumpkin once again (every three months now). On Tuesday we go into the Prairie Center to start with a blood draw, then a visit with Dr. Tolentino to see how the blood work looks and, to see how the MRI looks – see if I am growing any new tumors or expanding any old ones. If the blood work looks good, I am supposed to get an infusion of Avastin. On Thursday I visit with the nurse practitioner from Dr. Viola’s office to get my driver license renewal letter from them. Then to cap the week, we have a family meeting with Palliative Care on Friday afternoon. Busy medical week.

                        Next Friday afternoon, our family is gathering in Humboldt to help move Jarding Construction from the old shop into a newer and smaller building. It will be a busy weekend, but fun with everybody helping out.

                        I have been having some headaches this last week, which always leaves one with brain cancer anxious as to the cause of those headaches. That continues to be the hard part of this journey – the not being in control and not knowing. That is what Faith is all about, and I guess it is a test of my Faith. I do not think I am ready for the downward spiral in my health yet, but I should probably strap on the seat belt and hang on for the ride. I have too many things to do to get sick, but we will see what God has planned for me and my schedule.

                        Some of the Gifts I have seen these past weeks that stand out are listed below:

1)    Beautiful Black Hills Fall Scenery like you can’t believe - sharing it with the love of my life.

2)    Watching John play soccer – he is the last of the four boys I get to watch in ball games – we have seen a lot of games over the years.

3)    Holding my oldest granddaughter,Jameson, and having her look deep into my eyes – her beautiful eyes darting back and forth looking into my soul - me wondering if she will remember me – I think she will remember deep within her soul. I love that little girl………………

4)    Praying bedside prayers with Kolbe as he goes to bed – he is a pretty sincere little boy- and he says an extra prayer for grandpa, grandma, and great grandpa and grandma each night.

5)    Waking up at 2:30 AM with a headache – Margaret caressing my head to try to make the pain ease up a bit, which it usually does with her touch. Whispering to her that we are kind of getting taken on our time left together, but knowing that the moments we have shared to this point are more precious than many people get to share in a lifetime together.

6)    Sitting quietly in our backyard listening to God’s creation – we don’t get to do that enough in this busy life. God could have made everything gray and black, but he colored the world for you and I to enjoy.

7)    Trying to get a one hour nap in each day, resting in the arms of the Lord.

8)    Reminiscing on a great and gifted life I have been able to live – a great marriage – four wonderful gifts from God in our sons – now three of those sons have found women to make their lives complete – watching John on his first college tour and wondering what God will call him to do in his life’s vocation

9)    I have been blessed in having three separate careers that ran together at the same time. How many people wonder yet what they want to do in their life – I got to be a Carpenter who builds people’s dreams – a Fire Fighter who saves people’s lives, and a Father who passes on life and Faith in God to the next generation of our family. Who could ask for more than that?

Tonight before you go to sleep, thank God for the gifts in your life, and ask Him to help you in each step of your life’s journey.  He is there for each of us, and He has a plan for each of us. It is our job to trust in Him and to follow that plan wherever it takes us. God Bless. 

God Knew Best

            It has been a while since I sat at the keyboard to pour out my thoughts. Things have been busy, and I have been feeling pretty good. I get a slight headache by the end of the day, if I am pretty tired, but otherwise, I feel pretty good. I told Dr. Tolentino that I was feeling so good that perhaps they mis-diagnosed my disease. His smiling response was, “That means that our treatment for you is working.” At any rate, I do appreciate these good days that God has granted me to spend time with Margaret and our family. Each of the days we live, each breath we take, each beat of our hearts is a gift from God. When we are healthy and busy, we often forget that and take these things for granted.

            I have received many books, cards, prayers, and gifts from people since my first diagnosis. One of those books is a daily devotional called “Streams in the Desert” which I received from one of Margaret’s cousins in New York. I do not read it every day, but happened to read it on September 20^th. The reading really struck me that day, and again, I see the Holy Spirit guiding my life and what I do. Why did I choose to read this book that day? I truly believe it was divine guidance.

Here is the reading from September 20^th out of “Streams in the Desert” by L.B. Cowman.

            Did I not tell you that if you believed, you could see the glory of God? (John 11:40)

Mary and Martha could not understand what their Lord was doing. Each of them had said to Him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (vv 21, 32). And behind their words we seem to read their true thoughts: “Lord, we do not understand why you waited so long to come or how you could allow the man you love so much to die. We do not understand how you could allow such sorrow and suffering to devastate our lives, when your presence might have stopped it all. Why didn’t you come? Now it’s too late, because Lazarus has been dead four days! But Jesus simply had one great truth in answer to all of this. He said, in essence, “You may not understand, but I am telling you that if you believe, you will see.”

            Abraham could not understand why God would ask him to sacrifice his son, but he trusted Him. Then he saw the Lord’s glory when the son he loved was restored to him. Moses could not understand why God would require him to stay forty years in the wilderness, but he also trusted Him. Then he saw when God called him to lead Israel from Egyptian bondage.

Joseph could not understand his brothers’ cruelty toward him, the false testimony of a treacherous woman, or the long years of unjust imprisonment, but he trusted God and finally saw His glory in it all. And Joseph’s father, Jacob, could not understand how God’s strange providence could allow Joseph to be taken from him. Yet later he saw the Lord’s glory when he looked into the face of his son, who had become the governor for a great king and the person used to preserve his own life and the lives of an entire nation.

Perhaps there is also something in your life causing you to question God. Do you find yourself saying, “I do not understand why God allowed my loved one to be taken. I do not understand why affliction has been permitted to strike me. I do not understand why the Lord has led me down these twisting paths. I do not understand why my own plans, which seemed so good, have been so disappointing. I do not understand why the blessings I so desperately need are so long in coming.”

Dear friend, you do not have to understand all God’s ways of dealing with you. He does not expect you to understand them. You do not expect your children to understand everything you do – you simply want them to trust you. And someday you too will see the glory of God in the things you do not understand. J.H.M.

 

If we could push ajar the gates of life,

And stand within, and all God’s working see,

We might interpret all this doubt and strife,

And for each mystery could find a key.

 

But not today. Then be content, dear heart;

God’s plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold.

We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart –

Time will someday reveal the blooms of gold.

 

And if, through patient toil, we reach the land

Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest,

When we shall clearly know and understand,

I think that we will say, “God knew best.”