Sixty years ago, a layman, John R. Hooker, who was a faithful servant of the Lord, penned a beautiful poem and dedicated it to the members of his Sunday School class at the First Baptist Church in Loudon, Tennessee. That man was the father of Doug Hooker, who was to grow up and become, along with his wife, Imogene, a missionary with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. In turn, their son too was to one day grow up and become an international missionary.
As we undertake our annual missions emphasis during this "Week of Prayer for International Missions", I thought I would post a copy of that poem. It only serves to remind me that none of us truly knows the extent of the impact we have on others or on the Kingdom of God.. All our Lord calls us to do is to be faithful. As we are, He then uses that faithfulness to influence others in ways we never dreamed.
TODAY
Dedicated to the Senior Men’s Bible Class (Class of 1951-1952)
When the evening shadows fall,
And the curtain of night is drawn,
What shall I say of today,
What has happened since break of dawn,
How have I met the temptations and all,
The problems that have come my way?
Have I fought on, or sheathed the sword,
Have I been true to His holy word,
Have I found time to pray?
And now as I think of the road that runs
To the destiny we all must share,
I think of the wonderful, wonderful way,
You have helped every burden to bear.
That no lack I find in you the ones
Who, for us have prayed from day to day,
So, to the Lord who is all in all,
May we faithfully, consistently call,
Always finding time to pray.
To us, today will always be,
The best of time, we shall ever know,
And so, as we wind a long lifes way,
May we not look back, but onward go,
Trusting our hopes for tomorrow we’ll see,
Realized gladly as we greet Today,
Then as we give ourselves to the task,
We should not forget for guidance to ask.
Let us always find time to pray.
Days of sunshine, will yield, to days of rain,
Flowers will bloom only to fade,
Joy, and gladness, give way to pain
Life be a mixture of light and shade,
Dear ones will gladden the earth time way,
Our faith must not waver nor ee’r despair,
Tho foes may despise, we shall always say,
He knows the way, be it dark, or fair.
Peace will come, as we kneel in prayer.
Some day in the best of all lands,
We shall meet again, with out stretched hands,
And, may not we find when we come to the end,
That we have forgotten, or forsaken a friend,
So, as we go along, may we truly try
To lead others, to that home on high.
Traveling along in joy, or in sorrow
“As we sow today we shall reap tomorrow”,
Mid the tests, and trials of all the days,
Assurance will come to the one who prays.
As we undertake our annual missions emphasis during this "Week of Prayer for International Missions", I thought I would post a copy of that poem. It only serves to remind me that none of us truly knows the extent of the impact we have on others or on the Kingdom of God.. All our Lord calls us to do is to be faithful. As we are, He then uses that faithfulness to influence others in ways we never dreamed.
TODAY
Dedicated to the Senior Men’s Bible Class (Class of 1951-1952)
When the evening shadows fall,
And the curtain of night is drawn,
What shall I say of today,
What has happened since break of dawn,
How have I met the temptations and all,
The problems that have come my way?
Have I fought on, or sheathed the sword,
Have I been true to His holy word,
Have I found time to pray?
And now as I think of the road that runs
To the destiny we all must share,
I think of the wonderful, wonderful way,
You have helped every burden to bear.
That no lack I find in you the ones
Who, for us have prayed from day to day,
So, to the Lord who is all in all,
May we faithfully, consistently call,
Always finding time to pray.
To us, today will always be,
The best of time, we shall ever know,
And so, as we wind a long lifes way,
May we not look back, but onward go,
Trusting our hopes for tomorrow we’ll see,
Realized gladly as we greet Today,
Then as we give ourselves to the task,
We should not forget for guidance to ask.
Let us always find time to pray.
Days of sunshine, will yield, to days of rain,
Flowers will bloom only to fade,
Joy, and gladness, give way to pain
Life be a mixture of light and shade,
Dear ones will gladden the earth time way,
Our faith must not waver nor ee’r despair,
Tho foes may despise, we shall always say,
He knows the way, be it dark, or fair.
Peace will come, as we kneel in prayer.
Some day in the best of all lands,
We shall meet again, with out stretched hands,
And, may not we find when we come to the end,
That we have forgotten, or forsaken a friend,
So, as we go along, may we truly try
To lead others, to that home on high.
Traveling along in joy, or in sorrow
“As we sow today we shall reap tomorrow”,
Mid the tests, and trials of all the days,
Assurance will come to the one who prays.