HAPPY SABBATH + PRAYER: A Hope To Hold!

Father,
I Truly Love Your Artistry
Displayed In The Amazing
Simply Awesome
Soul-Stirring
Works Of Your Hand!

I Remember
Even As A Child
Gazing Upward
And Seeing A Cloud Drawing
And Becoming Hopelessly
Awestruck And Inspired
And Calling Out To All:

Did You See What I Just Saw!

I Saw Over There An Elephant
Over Yonder A Floppy-Eared Puppy Dog
To My Right A Racing Dragon
Dead Ahead A Shoal Of Fishes Floating
And
Even To My Then Child's Mind
Child-Sized Angels Floating, Floating!
Father!
You Do Thrilling Work
And I Am Blessed!

But, Then, Lord
I Grew Up
And Stopped Looking Up
And Started Looking In
And Gazing Instead
Around And Down
And Became So Obsessively Consumed
With Man's Vain Work
And
Striving For Daily Bread
That I Practically Forgot
That Life Is Not All Work!
I Forgot To Commune!
I Forgot To Stop And Just Breathe!
I Forgot To Sincerely Worship!
I Just Did That With Which I Was Pleased!
Forgive Me!

Life Changed ... Again
And, Then
I Finally Realized That
You Did Not Stop Painting
Drawing Or Coloring!
It Was I Who Stopped Gazing
And
In A Starkly Clear Awareness
A Benevolent Act Of The Will
I Could Again See
And
I Again Started Looking Up To The Sky
Blue 
Grey
Cloudy
Stormy
Starry
Cloudless
And Also Looking 
- Even If Only At Second-Hand Pictures -
And Enjoying Again
The Bounty From The Hand Of The Master
The Creator Of All
The Sustainer Of All
Who
For My Personal Upliftment
Paints Pastoral Scenes
Sea Scapes
Mountain Ranges
Raging Storms
Windswept Plains
Portraits Of
A Child New Born
A Rugged Face Of A Weary Worker
A Gnarled Old Hand
A Warm Embrace
A Dewey Eye
A Racing Tear
A Smiling Face
A Serene Display
Not Every Picture In The Distance
Some ... Up Close
Some Pictures ... A Scent
A Noise
A Touch
A Hope
From Love ... Everlasting
My Blessed Hope
A Hope To Have
To Hold
From This Day Onward
Until I Shall Die
Or
You Shall Come
And, Then
For All Eternity
My Hope Realized
With My Own Eyes ... To Behold!

Thank You, Father!
Your Gift To Me
It Does Not Float
For It Is Anchored
In My Heart ... So Solidly
That I Look Up
And I See The Distant Shore
Just Within Sight
So Far ... Yet So Near!

I Can See The Lightning!
I Can Hear And Feel The Thunder!
I Can Hear The Trumpet!
I Can Hear ... I Can Hear ...!
My Lord ... Is Oh, So, Near ...!
That Which Is Now Distant
Is Coming For Me ... Right Here!

Thank You For The Works Of Heart
For Through Them
I Know That I Have Nothing
From This Life To Fear
Because ... Because
My Father Is Still Sitting Upon His Throne
Sending Me Messages
Holding My Hand
Telling Me Clearly
That He Is Still In Command!

I Love You, Lord!
Please Come Soon!
AMEN.