Hymn #467

There are 695 songs in the hymnal at my church.  I think there are approximately 230 of them that I have never sung or heard.  So it was no surprise last week when we started singing Wonderful Peace and my eyes drifted to a strange hymn on the opposing page.  I am sure I have never heard of it let alone sung it.  It is named, “Life Is Great! So Sing About It.”  What a great title.  So I read the words.  I particularly like the second stanza.   “Life is great! – whatever happens.  Snow or sunshine, joy or pain, hardship, grief or disillusion, suffering that I cannot explain – Life is great if someone loves me, holds my hand and calls my name.”  I wanted to say, “Right on” but I guess because I was in church I should have said, “Amen” – same thing.

It instantly reminded me of a popular song by Martina McBride entitled, “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.  “I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden / Along with the sunshine there’s gotta be a little rain sometime / When you take you gotta give so live and let live and let go oh oh oh oh / I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden…”

What God does promise us is strength to endure and ultimate victory                   1 Peter 5:10 says, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

I wonder what other wonders I have missed in my hymnal?

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 17, 2016

PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

rogerbothwell.org