SUNSHINE OF JOY

I was wondering what I should post on my blog so I was looking at the books in our bookcase and one of them caught my eye. It was a little Helen Steiner Rice book called Sunshine of Joy. We have so much sunshine here where we live ― not only in the summer but year around. So I took the book down and opened it. I know I have seen this book before because we've had it for years, but we have so many books that I have not looked at it in a long time. It was almost as if I'd never seen it before. Could be my age I guess. I do forget a few things. LOL
Any way, back to the book. My goodness ― so many wonderful poems. The one I chose to share today is called Warm Our Hearts With Thy Love.

Warm Our Hearts With Thy Love

                    Oh God, who made the summer

                              and warmed the earth with beauty,

                    Warm our hearts with gratitude

                              and devotion to our duty.

                    For in this age of violence,

                              rebellion and defiance

                    We've forgotten the true meaning

                              of "dependable reliance."

                    We have lost our sense of duty

                              and our sense of values, too,

                    and what was once unsanctioned

                              no longer is taboo.

                    Our standards have been lowered

                              and we resist all discipline

                    And our vision has been narrowed

                              and blinded to all sin.

                    Oh, put the summer brightness

                              in our closed, unseeing eyes

                    So in the careworn faces

                              that we pass we'll recognize

                    The heartbreak and the loneliness,

                              the trouble and despair

                    That a word of understanding 

                              would make easier to bear.

                    Oh, God, look down on our cold hearts

                              and warm them with Your love,

                    And grant us Your forgiveness

                              which we're so unworthy of.

                                            -Helen Steiner Rice

It is my prayer that God will warm all our hearts with His love. For links to lots of inspirational posts, please click HERE to go to the Spiritual Sundays blog.