Even if the sky is falling.... (In Spanish OR English!)

                

(If you don't speak Spanish...don't worry!  Just scroll down till you get to the part in English.)

Los estadounidenses están listos para celebrar el Día de Acción de Gracias, recordando las cosas por las cuales estamos agradecidos y cantando las bondades de nuestro Dios.

En la Biblia se nos insta muchas veces a cantar al Señor...pero cómo hacer cuando nos parece que el cielo se nos cae encima, y sentimos que la música del corazón se ha desvanecido?


                                                                  ALMA QUEBRANTADA

Yo vine a Ti con la copa vacía... no la podía llenar.
No sabía ni de qué, ni de quién dependía;
no tenía de qué cantar.
Y vine a Ti con ilusiones destruidas;
¡quien no sueña... no puede vivir!
 Me recogiste en la palma de tu fuerte Mano,
 y te oí decir:


                        --El corazón quebrantado danzará de gozo ante su Señor,
                        porque al corazón quebrantado abriré los misterios de mi Amor.
                        Y al alma quebrantada ungiré con el bálsamo del perdón.
                        ¡Al alma quebrantada le haré cantar una nueva canción!--

                                       Yo vine a Ti con las alas heridas...no podía volar.
                                       Y vine a Ti con sonrisa fingida,
                                       mas no podía dejar de llorar.
                                       Y vine a Ti con la esperanza perdida;
                                       ¡quien no sueña...no puede vivir!
                                       Me recogiste en la palma de tu fuerte Mano,
                                       y te oí decir:                                          

--El corazón quebrantado danzará de gozo ante su Señor,
porque al corazón quebrantado abriré los misterios de mi Amor.
Y al alma quebrantada ungiré con el bálsamo del perdón.
¡Al alma quebrantada le haré cantar una nueva canción!--

                                                                              ( canción por Becky de Rhon)
          ********************************************

 ¡Gracias a Dios por ese Amor tan inmenso que, en lugar de regañarnos por nuestras debilidades y momentos de desánimo, nos recoge en sus brazos, y nos arrulla con su cariñosa voz, tranquilizándonos y devolviéndonos la Música del alma y el sueño del corazón!  Y esta es una de las cosas más maravillosas por las cuales podemos ofrecerle a Dios nuestra gratitud en este Día de Acción de Gracias.

         *********************************************************************
       
I have been putting posts from my blog on Facebook (German-Becky Rhon), and since we have Spanish-speaking family and friends, I wanted to post one with something in that language for them.

Here's a loose translation for the lyrics to this song, entitled "Broken Heart" (or literally, "broken soul").

            I came to You with an empty cup that I couldn't fill.
            I didn't know what or who I could depend on;
            I had nothing to sing about.
            I came to You with my aspirations in tatters...
            one cannot live without a dream!
            You gathered me into the palm of your Hand
            and I heard You say:

            "The broken heart will dance before its Lord,
            for I will open to it the mysteries of my Love.
            And I'll anoint the broken soul with the balm of my forgiveness.
            I will make the broken soul sing a new Song!"

            I came to You with wounded wings, unable to fly.
            I came to You with a pretended smile...
            yet I couldn't stop weeping.
            I came to You with hopes that had vanished...
            one cannot live without a dream!
            You gathered me into the palm of your Hand
            and I heard You say:

           "The broken heart will dance before its Lord,
           for I will open to it the mysteries of my Love
           And I'll anoint the broken soul with the balm of my forgiveness.
           I will make the broken soul sing a new Song!"
                       *********************

Isn't it awesome that even when it seems like the sky is falling, our heart has nothing to sing about, and nothing's going right, God will draw us into his arms and soothe us, bringing back the Music of the soul and the dreams of the heart? This is one of the most awesome things we have for which to be grateful to God!

                                       

                                         HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!


      

Let ME come along, Singer!

Listen! 

                                                                    Singer, Teach Me the Song

The World's day begins with the harsh chords of sin,
 its disharmony jarring the land.
 Then into the crowd flows the sound, clear and loud,
  of a Music unknown yet to Man.

              Across human time, perfect rhythm and rhyme

              grace the Love Song that always has been.
              The Singer walks on, never ending his Song,
              ever willing all men to join in.

Let me come along.  Singer, teach me the Song
that You sang to make Earth come to life;
the deep melody that You sang as You freed
us from death, when You laid down to die.

                                      


                        Let me come along!  Singer, teach me the Song
                        that You sang to turn darkness to light.
                        I'll sing your Song or die.  Every other's a lie
                        that will soon fade away in the night.

                        Let me come along, Singer! Teach me your Song.
                        Let me sing with You always, sing with You always;
                        I'll sing your Song all of my life!
                                                                                   (song lyrics by Becky Rhon)
              *********************************************************************

Our singing to God should be a reflection of his Song, an echo of the divine Music that spills out in splendor from his Heart, creating...bringing together...wooing...letting us see Him.  He sings his Life and Love to us, and in response, our hearts sing back...

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."  (Psalm 40:3)

Then...as WE join his Song,  others may listen, too...and soon each soul can become one of the voices that...

"Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you."  (Isaiah 12:6)
             ************************************************************************
There's something awesome about this next verse... 

"I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."  (Psalm 104:33)

...because "all my life" and "as long as I live" will go on forever!   
            **************************************************************************

Listen!  Do you hear the Music?

A tribute to my friend Kathy Jo...and a whimsical (very!) and ironic furlough poem I wrote for her years ago (so we can smile through our tears)

I first really started to get to know Kathy Jo about 34 years ago, when I ended up at her house on my way to the English-speaking ladies' Bible study we both attended.  I hadn't realized it was a Christmas celebration to which everyone was supposed to take a small gift.  Kathy whipped out some homemade blueberry muffins, wrapped them on a paper plate and said, "Here, you can take these!"

We only saw each other at these meetings.  Then I left for Shell with my family.  But a little over a year later, the Esteses were assigned to Shell!  Kathy Jo told me later that she had been nervous about going, not being familiar with the missionaries there...but it was a comfort to think, "At least I know Becky!"

For six years in Shell (with a furlough for her in there somewhere) we reared our kids together, cried in each other's tea, laughed together...and learned more and more about life and our Father.  Then they were re-assigned to Quito, but we always kept in touch.

Kathy Jo had a knack for encouraging others to do things that she was sure they could do...whether they thought they could or not.  She's a great seamstress, and I learned from her.  One day she came over with a pattern and instructions for smocking.  "You can do this!", she told me...and I found I could!  I wouldn't have even tried if she hadn't made me feel I could do it.

Another time, as I was coming back from the school, she met me at my front door and told me that she'd heard on the radio that the Ecuadorian missionary society was asking for entries to their contest for a theme song for their up-coming convention.  I had been composing songs, but...enter a national contest?  But Kathy Jo thought I could do it.  So I did...and I won the contest! It's likely that I wouldn't have even tried if she hadn't made me feel I could do it.

Kathy Jo had quite an impact on some of the young people in Shell, even some who were "difficult" and full of problems...they knew that they were always welcome in her kitchen to talk and be listened to while she worked. They grew to trust her, and over time it's been obvious that her influence made a definite difference in their lives.  One girl in particular, who was pretty wild, ended up going to a Christian Bible institute in Argentina, then came back and married a classmate, with whom she now serves the Lord full-time.

Two couples that I can think of asked Kathy Jo and Jim to be their "padrinos" for their weddings...and Kathy Jo went one step farther and made their wedding dresses! 

Our children became sort of like siblings or cousins, and when we were in the same place at the same time, we celebrated Christmas and Thanksgiving together.  Our kids still call them "Aunt" and "Uncle"...and I think they probably always will!

For several years, Kathy was one of the school nurses at the Alliance Academy, and our daughter Debbie was at one time their assistant.  She has told us that "Aunt Kathy" (and "Aunt" Cookie) definitely inspired her in her decision to become a nurse.


I'm just scratching the surface here,  trying to show a brief glimpse of my dear friend's encouraging and nurturing spirit, that has caused so many people to love, esteem and respect her...and rightly so.  She and Jim have been true ambassadors of Jesus' love, and they will be sorely missed. I imagine there are few dry eyes among all their friends down here.
                                 *****************************************

When we still lived in Shell, the Esteses had to leave for a furlough.  It was such a hectic time!  Packing up all their stuff, traveling with four little children.  We had never been on a furlough as a family, since we were employees at that time, not yet career missionaries...but I'm an MK, and I remember furloughs my family took. 

So I decided to write a poem for Kathy Jo,  whimsical, light-hearted, IRONIC verse to make her smile!  (It reflects furlough preparation of several decades ago...nowadays it's a lot different!) Here it is:

                                      Pre-Furlough Thoughts

                                    Furlough is a time of fun,
                                    greatly enjoyed by everyone;
                                    with restful, first-class airplane flights,
                                    (red eyes, sick kids and sleepless nights).
                                    Engaged in the "cross-airport run",
                                    the challenges are a delight.

                                    Waiting for you will be a crowd.
                                    They'll ooh-and-aah, exclaim aloud.
                                    They'll say, "The kids are growing up!"
                                    (Then the poor dears are throwing up...)
                                    You thought you'd be all smiles, so proud.
                                    Instead, you feel like blowing up.

                                    Then comes the driving miles and miles,
                                    with expectations running wild,
                                    as well as tempers, tears and noses;
                                    so by the time your journey closes
                                    you've quite forgotten how to smile.
                                    (Though it's not as bad as one supposes.)

                                    The meals you have will be so good!
                                    You drool just thinking of the food.
                                     In fact, you grin from ear-to-ear...
                                     marshmallows, cranberries, cold root beer...
                                    (the only thing to spoil the mood
                                     is fatter legs and wider rear).

                                     But all these things are still to come;
                                     right now you've a half-empty home,
                                     barrels and boxes left and right;
                                     never a day without a fight.
                                     You let imagination roam
                                     and dream you're going to travel light.

                                     If magic lamps were still the trend,
                                     you'd steal Aladdin's genie friend
                                     and leave the packing all to it -
                                     the cleaning, storing - the whole bit;
                                     and, cool and calm up to the end,
                                     you'd leave one-hundred-percent fit.

                                     If you're depressed and all run down,
                                     your feet can hardly leave the ground,
                                     decisions seem to fog your brain...
                                     don't think it's only you in pain:
                                     I've never seen a furlough-bound
                                     step on the plane completely sane!
                                                                                                  (Becky Rhon, May 1985)
                             ******************************************

Kathy Jo, you have been and are a special part of my heart!  God bless you richly!

                             **********************************************

(For those who don't know them, Jim and Kathy Jo Estes have served with HCJB
{now Reach Beyond} in Ecuador for about 36 years {I think}, and are leaving the country in preparation for retirement.  In the picture, Kathy's on the left, I'm on the right.)

But I DO know...please tell me YOU do, too!

   
                                                       BUT I DO KNOW

              I don't know all your story-lines, blueprints or plans,
              nor how all of infinity flows through your Hands.

              I can't grasp all your mysteries, your methods, your Mind,
              or your thoughts so impossibly higher than mine.

              I can't always perceive that "all things work for good";
              when in pain, it's not easy to think that they could.

              So I don't know why at some times I bask in your Grace,
              while at others it seems like You've hidden your Face;

           and I don't know why some days bring smiles, some days grief;
           some hold fears and delays, others grateful relief,

               but I DO know You love me - through smooth seas or rough.
               I know that YOU ARE...and that's more than enough!                           
               ************************(Becky Rhon)*****************        

This was something we had to remember when we heard that Dan was being deployed to Iraq. 

Let me back up a bit.  When Steve and Debbie were married in April, KC was three months pregnant. Our first grandchild! We were all so excited.  It was an occasion to "bask in His Grace" when Noemí Eliza was born in October.  We were able to fly up to El Paso to meet the lovely little baby who had joined the family.

But when she was only a couple of months old, Dan had to leave for the Middle East with the medical staff...for a whole year! It was a time when the emotions in this poem were in the fore.  Dan and KC prepared as best they could.  Dan installed a webcam so that he could watch his little girl from thousands of miles away.  Before he left, he taped a video of himself reading stories and talking to Noe (her nickname), and KC would play it daily.  Even when Noe was a little older and could choose which video she wanted to see, the one Daddy made for her was always a favorite!

Dan was allowed one trip home for a couple of weeks, when he could re-connect with his wife and daughter in person.  KC, completely in charge of the house and home now, learned to do many things she hadn't had to do before. Through this time of growth and stretching, God was their anchor.

Then a few months after Dan got back, WE got a special treat: Dan, KC and Noe were coming down to Quito for a visit! The day Germán went to pick them up from the airport, I got up from my afternoon rest and walked into the living room...and couldn't believe my eyes.  Debbie was sitting there!  What a wonderful surprise.  (Steve hadn't been able to make it.  They had moved to California, and he was just starting a new job.)  What a joy to be together again!
                   *********************************************************** 

"God said to Moses, 'I am who I am.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites:  "I AM has sent me to you."'"  (Ex. 3:14)

God tells us that His thoughts "are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways."  (Isaiah 55:8)  In a way, that can sound sort of scary!! But I AM's "story-lines and blueprints, mysteries and methods" are not to be feared.  He also says "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  (Jeremiah 29:11)
                       ************************************************************

Let's rest in this promise:  "But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear Him, and his righteousness with their children's children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts."  (Psalm 103:17)