INSPIRASUNS

Yesterday, we celebrated the life of a sweet friend, Polly. I shared a about her in a little blog post last week. Polly was the Parish Administrator before me, and she was one of the most loving, supportive, and well, funny women I have ever met. She was such a gentle soul.

I know she was smiling as she looked down on a totally packed church filled with family and friends who loved her so. The service was beautiful, and the reception was filled with so many stories of Polly over the years. She cared for everyone she met, and it didn’t take her long to call you a friend.

Our priest gave a beautiful sermon, and a part of that stuck with me. I’ve been thinking about it since the service and thought I’d share it today. Polly hadn’t made official funeral plans, but she did have several bulletins and notes in her file. One of the notes was a hymn that had been used at a previous funeral at the church. Polly had cut the hymn from the bulletin and made two notes at the bottom of the page.

The hymn is titled, “Lord, Make us Servants of Your Peace”. At the bottom of the page, she had noted, “Love this hymn”, and “The way to live”. There are several verses to this hymn, and a few stand out. You understand, as you read or sing this hymn, why Polly noted what she did in both cases.

“Lord, make us servants of your peace: where there is hate, may we sow love; where there is hurt, may we forgive; where there is strife, may we make one.”

“Where all is doubt, may we sow faith; where all is gloom, may we sow hope; where all is night, may we sow light; where all is tears, may we sow joy.”

“Jesus our Lord, may we not seek to be consoled, but to console, nor look to understanding hearts, but look for hearts to understand.”

It’s a beautiful hymn, and to be honest, it was so Polly. She lived this way, and shouldn’t we all?

Friends, this life is so short, and we have the opportunity to make a difference in this world before we leave it for our forever home. If we follow just a few of the verses in this beautiful hymn, and make it the way to live, well, all will be good.

Have a wonderful day, friends. Continued prayers for the return of sweet Emily Rea.

Hebrews 13:16
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.