Morning Moments

Many years ago a boy was born to a school master in Southampton, England. The father was also a preacher. Early in this boy's life his poetic genius was observed. Many true artists may seem peculiar to some, but it is through life's difficulties that art is often born. One has to admit that this boy did seem quite different, for he never grew above 5 feet tall, which in itself is not so strange. But when you add to that a crooked nose, penetrating eyes, a large head, and a strange looking wig, it makes for an out of the ordinary look.

At age eighteen, he complained to his father about the songs sung in church. To him they had no poetic form, and it disturbed him. His father suggested that he write better, and that he did for the very next Sunday his first hymn was introduced in the church worship. Over the next couple of years he wrote dozens of hymns and they change the way of music in the English church. In the early seventeen hundreds his first book of hymns was published. It was the first hymnal in English.

He fell deeply in love and wanted to marry the young lady of his dreams, but his love was spurned and rejected by her cold and cutting response to his proposal, "I like the jewel, but I don't like the setting." Obviously it broke his heart. He never married.

In addition to his "strange" appearance, he was a rather sickly person. He was offered a place of recuperation by a friend for a week, but at the end of the week had not recuperated, so his friend asked him to stay on, and stay on he did for the rest of his life - 36 years. At the ending of his life he commented that He was trusting Christ alone for his salvation and nothing else mattered. To depart and to be with Christ was to be far better.

And so, Isaac Watts, author of "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross," "Joy To The World," and hundreds of other hymns found in hymnals all over the world went to be with His Lord and Savior, Jesus on November 25th 1748.

I share this today for two reasons: 1) That we might see what God can do with those of us who might have experienced the pain of criticism and rejection in our lives, and 2) For all of us to see that we have MUCH for which we can be thankful.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you! Thank you that with you the worst times of life can be worshipful times. Thank you that regardless of how others might feel toward us, nothing can separate us from your love. Thank you too that little is much in Your hands, so help us place all that we are and ever hope to be in YOUR hands and seek YOUR heart.