“Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
let us find that second rest.”
Do you recognize these words?
They come from Love Divine, All Loves Excelling by Charles Wesley.
This hymn beautifully tells the story of our Christian pilgrimage from beginning to end—how God reaches out to us in Jesus Christ, how the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, and how we are changed from glory to glory until the day we are made perfect in His presence.
Today I sang this hymn with Liz Taylor, who is now under hospice care. Though her body is tired, her spirit is bright. As we began to sing her favorite hymn, her face began to glow. She smiled. She sang from memory. It was holy ground.
Her room is a quiet testimony to her faithful walk with Christ. The pictures on her shelf. The books that fill her room—Bible studies, hymnals, small group materials. Each one tells a story. Liz sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, led Social Saturday (children’s outreach), organized the Thank You Ministry for First Responders, preached from the pulpit, and faithfully served on many committees. Her life has been poured out in love.
Though she is now bedridden, her spirit is not bound. I often hear her softly humming hymns. It reminds me of what John Piper once said: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” In this way, Liz continues to glorify God simply by being who she is in Christ.
Thanks to her daughter Lisa, Liz was also the first person to share her life story for our Life Review project. If you would like to read it, here is the link:
https://faithbook2025.blogspot.com/2025/03/walking-with-god-through-every-season.html
“Finish, then, Thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation,
perfectly restored in Thee;
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place…”
Our journey continues.
This Sunday, we will sing this hymn together. May God be glorified as we rejoice in Him. May we breathe in His loving Spirit. May we find that “second rest” in Christ.
Stay well, and see you Sunday!
Pastor Victor
No comments:
Post a Comment