Spring Beauty and Heavenly Hope

ALMIGHTY, Thou hast already shown us the path of earthly life, help us that we may see the heavenly life. We bless Thee that Thou hast spared us again to see the beauty of this world in all its budding glory. We bless Thee for these bright glad days. Grant that our hearts may be touched, and that these sweet earthly flowers may remind us of the flower of the Life Eternal. Would that we trembled more at the exquisite beauty of the garment of God! Would that we could rise to the glory of the Wearer! But we thank Thee if we may but touch the hem of Thy garment, if our glad souls have been carried up to Thee with the songs of the birds, with the child’s gladness, and with the summer sunshine; for these things are the hem of Thy garment. Let no word of Thy writing be lost upon us, nothing Thou hast made be other than a Thought of God to us. We gaze into the faces of those we love and admire, and wonder what their thoughts may be, but Thou hast written out for us Thy thoughts in these bright cloudless days, in every flower sent to gladden the eyes of man, in the grandeur of the storm, in the sweetness of the calm. Let us dwell on these Thy thoughts, and never let them go till we have learnt from them all we can. Thou art very good to us, but Thou hast not filled our cup, for our hands would tremble too much to hold it. Our hands are not yet steady enough to carry it. If Thou wilt lead us up the shining steeps, then we shall be able to carry full cups of heavenly joy. Lead Thou us with Thy pitiful hand, uphold us with Thy Spirit, till we come purified into the land of the blessed, there to see those we have loved who have gone before us; there to see the little child become an angel in Thy warm presence; there to see the true Shepherd; there to see the prophets and all Thy great and holy souls; there to take part in the heavenly song, unbroken, unwearied, marvellous as Thy majesty, and heavenly as Thy love.—AMEN.