For Thee I Am Thankful
 

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We were given fun that was wholesome and good, but all evil encroachment was firmly withstood.

And even today, when I let my thoughts roam, they often return to that happy home.

With school, work and play, our days were spent but to church on Sunday we faithfully went.

At a Revival meeting at the age of ten I opened my heart and Jesus came in.

I gave to the saints met there together My first testimony: “I feel light as a feather!”

But I shunned the cross, my friends I did fear.  The sweet presence of Christ was no longer near.

The joy of the Lord went out of my heart, in prayer and praise I no longer took part.

Without peace and joy five years I spent.  With a hungry heart to a camp meeting I went.

There at the altar while kneeling in prayer the reproach of the cross I became willing to bear

There I was reclaimed and baptized in the river, a new life I had and God was the Giver.

I returned home indeed a new creature, but I never dreamed I would marry a preacher.

The first big adventure in God’s Master Plan - a promising young preacher asked for my hand.

Cupid had shot his arrow, as some of you know, so to his request I could not say no.

So a parsonage lady God called me to be and a family of seven was given to me.

We had our struggles that are common to man With full assurance we were following God’s plan.

 We prayed for food, other necessities, too, and God proved to us what He could do!

All our wants were not to us sent, instead, the blessing of peaceful content.

With chicken pox, small pox, and measles twice, Scarlet fever and pneumonia, even itch and lice,

Whooping cough, tonsillitis, broken bones and mumps, and countless occurrences of bruises and bumps,

toothache, earache, stomachache, too, sometimes just wondering what to do.

But God was there giving strength for the day, for this motherhood stewardship He does richly repay.

Now trials, my friend, were not all we had;  Happy hours and blessings outnumbered the bad.

These light afflictions are but for a day, the rich rewards are for now and alway.

What a privilege was given to us to share with those in sorrow, sin and despair,

the message from Him who died on the tree: “Whosoever doth thirst let him come unto Me.”

Written in the Bible in letters bold: “In this life you’ll be given a hundred fold

of temporal blessings worthy of strife  And the world to come – eternal life!”

So, Father, I’ll bring my thank offering to Thee - Thanks for the wonderful life Thou has given to me!

And I’ll sing again my favorite hymn, My heart fills with praise as I think of Him,

     “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small,

     Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!”