It seemed that song after song spoke directly to my heart that morning. Directly to my hurting, aching heart and specifically selected to point me to the God I needed. One of those songs was the beautiful old hymn by Fanny Crosby, Safe in the Arms of Jesus.
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o'ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
As I sang those words as much as my shaky, tear-filled voice would let me, I could not get this picture out of my mind:
You see, in this picture Evie had already gone to Jesus. I had been holding her but then Josh scooped her up into his Daddy arms, leaned her against his chest and closed his eyes. "It just feels so good to hold her" he said.
In that moment Evie was being held by the two men who loved her most - her soul was safe in the arms of her Heavenly Father and her little body was being tenderly snuggled by her earthly daddy. A sweeter more sincere picture of love for one tiny girl there cannot be!
- Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels
Borne in a song to me,
Over the fields of glory,
Over the jasper sea.- Refrain:
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
- Refrain:
- Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world’s temptations;
Sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow,
Free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials,
Only a few more tears! - Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge,
Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages
Ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience,
Wait till the night is o’er;
Wait till I see the morning
Break on the golden shore.
So sweet and beautiful, Sarah.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rachael.
DeleteWhat a beautiful picture!
ReplyDeleteThank you, it's one I will cherish always and it was just a quick one I took with my phone camera. I'm so glad I did ...
DeleteBeautifully expressed, Sarah. Sweetly my soul shall rest.
ReplyDeleteAs devastatingly difficult these moments were, and how many moments similarly are, we would not opt to forfeit them instead. Somehow, all at once, their raw ugliness and emotion infuse us with life and life's most desired beauty. In the midst of what none would choose, rare glimses of truth and purity are shown to the watchful.
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