An Old Man's Heart Reflecting Prayer

An Old Man’s Heart Reflecting Prayer,

down on the farm, in the early years of his life.

written by William Victor Gray 4-3-2002 © Copyright

Dad is a very spiritual man, so noted in this prayer.

   This is the fervent prayer after eighty years full of the strain, pressure and heartaches, yet on the flip side many years, months and days so warm and inviting, words are lacking to describe.

   However, this gentleman using the finely tuned, five God-given senses to reflect on the years of his youth, as a farm hand.  Growing up on a huge river bottom track of land, banking most of a mile along the Gasconade River.  And in another area and time, living in hearing distance of the steam locomotives on the rails.  Along the Missouri River bluffs.

   Oh! You people of all ages so steeped in the desires of the world, do you not know or do you not care, that there is a God with a love so all encompassing that it floats the whole of the Universe in a cosmic sea of love?  This God, so few have paused to ponder, created the five senses; hear, smell, sight, feel and taste.  Putting all five into action is so amazing and happifying!  It becomes very difficult at times to contain or restrain oneself.  So thank you our grand creator for creating the senses.

  

   Oh, to live again to hear those sounds so dear to the ear and heart of a young man.  How do you explain the coming into existence of the bubbling brooks, the beautiful lakes, the awe inspiring bays, oceans, seas, water falls, etc.?  Explain the water cycle, why does water lifted from salt water, deteriorating vegetation, the drying out of the approximately 90 % water weight of decaying animals, fowls and sea creatures, lifted into the atmosphere by a created awesome beautiful Sun.  At the rate of 16 million tons of such afore mentioned water each second?  How amazing, it is fresh, drinkable, purified and provides all earthly living things with a commodity so precious, if you were to have to do without it for a few days, you would gladly give all things you possess, for a few glasses of this free gift of the Grand Creator to the men, women, and children he gave the life of his precious Son to purchase.  How can you ask any more loving concern, than he has already provided for you and I?  Does he care for you?  Only a fool would answer NO!

Now how about those huge forests along the valleys floors and mountainside?  As far as the eye can absorb, how nice and pleasant it is to move into a beautiful designed home, hardwood floors highly polished a spiraling staircase home.  Rails designed by the architect just so, and take a close look at those ornately carved tables, chairs, pollster bed, etc.   It makes your heart pulsate and almost skip a beat, doesn’t it? 

Where did all this wood come from?  Who provided it?  Who was so thoughtful to provide it and who was it provided for?  What is your answer?

How about the call of the whippoorwill as evening shadows fall across the woodlands areas?  Or the happifying antics of the baby rabbits and squirrels at the rise of morning sun.  Or again, the sounds of the crickets, the drum of a huge bullfrog along the pond bank.  Or the startling call of the hoot owl, while you and friends are hunting possums and coons along those river bluffs.  Or the ball of the Fox hounds along those high ridges and across the valley floors, and you lay awake to hear their voices change from a hot trail to a cold trail.  The echoes almost fade while running at a long distance that to a heavy drum as they perhaps top a ridge and drop off into a valley nearer home.  Are you asking, again, is their a creator of sound that did not understand sound?  Where have you been during the time you held these writings in your God given hands until now?  Why do you yet doubt?

Loose that sight, hearing, feel, taste, smell, for a short time, then gain it again a few days later, how endearing each becomes to you on returning.  It is all, free didn’t cost each of us a penny.  But how for granted we take them and not even thank the one who gave them to us.  How much would we give for the next breath of air if we were on the brink of loosing it permanently?  Would you stop to dicker or wrangle over words, the worth to obtain it again?

How about thirst?  You are now out of water, lying on the desert floor, passing in and out of consciousness for several hours.  You are now given a choice.  A truck load of gold and precious jewels are back to your left, a jug of water in your reach to your right, which of the two would suddenly become the most important to you?  Only a double fool would make the wrong decision.  Where did that sparkling precious water come from?  Have you thanked him recently for it?

 What a precious gift, and make no mistake about it!

As a young boy, down on the farm, we heard many times the warm and inviting sounds of the cowbells, as the cows grazed along the creek bank.  All the while moseying slowly toward the milk house and the sun began to set.  Eating green grass produced the whitest milk; wonder if the cow notices the color change?  You and I humans must study quite diligently to derive the answers.

Another thought to ponder is the awakening crow of the rooster…sitting atop a fence post near the break of day or the crack of dawn.  Or a short time later that day, the pleasant cackle of the hens as they desperately depart from the nest.

Have you lived to hear the lonesome moan of the steam locomotive as she strains every joint on a long grade?  Or again, the lonesome resolve of the whistle at the near by crossing?

Is there a God who cares?  Why did he create the honk of the wild geese as they gather, and gain the maze and admiration of man while far overheard flying south for warmer weather?

How much more could he care when he created the womb of the mother to incubate the matching tiny cells, so miniscule, it calls for powerful microscope to detect?  Yet during a few months, tiny hands, feet, eyes, nose and etc. appear.  A cherished tiny infant is developing to delight the hearts of the parents in a way no other gift materially can compare.  And yet there is not God you saw!  Tell me now by what other farfetched conclusion; do you conjure up a solid answer?

Now to the icing on the Big Beautiful Cake!  Through the most wonderful and pain staking care this grand creator and most mathematicians, architectural, philosophical, loving, and designer of the whole of the universe created by his holy spirit, a master peace!  A master worker and sent him to this Godless, forbearing world through the process of spirit embedded to the womb of a specially hand picked clean, spiritually well-adjusted humble, agreeable, loving mother,  to incubate and deliver his most precious son.  What a disgraceful death he died at the hands of ungrateful people.  That turned their back on a thorough study of the 39 books of the Bible they then had on hand.

So we ask, are we as guilty as they were then, and would not we recognize this precious son and the works and words in their at hand Bible, if he walked among us today?  Or perhaps stood quietly beside us?  Would we recognize him?  Or even see him standing there?  Wake up you people it’s getting late!  For you too, can make the same mistake they did.

If you were asked to explain what your future would be, would you be thrilled at such a question?  Enthused in your explanation joyful over the blessing you know are in store?

In the eyes of Jehovah our father it is an honorable action not to become defiled in any sense of the word.  Heb 13:4.

People of the world realize somewhat after uniting in marriage they are to become one; however the problem sits in when they begin to determine which one.  Note the strength of love the two being united should clothe themselves with the strongest of all bonds 2 John 6: