O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

I've a little embarrassed when I read about the pity party I had a few weeks ago when thinking of our anniversary.

It is still a few days until our anniversary and already it has been very special.

Last week Ed's brother and family insisted on coming to our house to stay with our six children so Ed and I could get away overnight. I think the last time we had went away overnight alone (if hospital stays don't count) was over two years ago. And that was to attend a conference.

Not only was it a treat to go away as a couple, it was super nice not to have to make babysitting arrangements - or even pack up clothes for the children - and they even brought all the meals. The list of how we have been supported and encouraged the past months is extremely long by now.

And the details fell together amazingly. I was shocked that we were able to get our favorite getaway cottage on a Friday night, only the day before. It was one of those times that we knew God had made the arrangements for us.

And Ed felt GREAT. I'm still shocked that after a month of chemo and radiation Ed felt like having a romantic night away.

We had a wonderful time and it felt like a huge gift.

I'll share photos when I get them off the camera, but for now I want to share a song whose words I can't sing without being moved. I've heard that these words were written during the author's time of personal suffering. There is so much rich meaning and depth to these words that I'm not even going to try to write a commentary but let you read them yourself.

It is so true that the life given to God becomes fuller and richer than we can ever imagine.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
by George Matheson

1. O Love that will not let me go,
   I rest my weary soul in thee;
   I give thee back the life I owe,
   That in thine ocean depths its flow
   May richer, fuller be.
2. O Light that foll’west all my way,
   I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;
   My heart restores its borrowed ray,
   That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
   May brighter, fairer be.
3. O Joy that seekest me through pain,
   I cannot close my heart to thee;
   I trace the rainbow through the rain,
   And feel the promise is not vain,
   That morn shall tearless be.
4. O Cross that liftest up my head,
   I dare not ask to fly from thee;
   I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
   And from the ground there blossoms red
   Life that shall endless be.
5. Listen to a men's choir sing these words. (If reading by email you may need to click over to the blog.)