Angie/Shinetoday's Page

I Thank You Lord For Every Thorn

I thank you, Lord, for every thorn,
Each heavy burden I have born.
The darkest moments of despair,
And every cross I've had to bear.
I'm glad I've suffered grief and pain,
Those seasons of distress and strain,
That stunned my pride and humbled me,
And turned my stubborn heart to Thee.

And thank You Lord, for every tear,
I've shed for those I hold so dear.
For 'tho I trusted you before,
Each crisis made me love you more.

For as the sorrows came and went,
They left me tired, weak, and spent.
With all my hope and courage gone,
I could not make it on my own.

'Twas then my prayers were most sincere,
With tender hands You soothed my fears,
And as my selfish will was purged,
A stronger, deeper faith emerged.

If I had had a life of ease,
And could have lived the way I pleased,
I might have never known the thrill,
Of living in Thy holy will.

The mountain tops, I must confess,
Were not where I was at my best.
But in the shadow of the vale,
I came to know my Savior well.

But for the valleys I've been through.
I may not love you as I do.
And might have never realized,
That thorns are blessings in disguise.

So, THANK YOU, Lord, on bended knee,
For everything you've given me.
Of life's desires, I've had the best,
Abundant joy and happiness.

Both light and shadows filled my days.
And looking back, I have to say,
The roses bloomed.............
They died............. I mourned.

And today, I THANK YOU......
For the thorns.

~Author Unknown~



When I say… I am a Christian
I’m not shouting “I’m clean livin’”
I’m whispering “I am lost”,
Now I am found and forgiven.

When I say…I am a Christian
I don’t speck of this with pride
I’m confessing that I stumble
And need CHRIST to be my guide.

When I say…I am a Christian
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak
And need HIS strength to carry on.

When I say…I am a Christian
I’m not bragging of success,
I’m admitting I have failed
And need GOD to clean my mess.

When I say… I am a Christian
I’m not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible

When I say…I am a Christian
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon his name.

When I say…I am a Christian
I’m not holier than thou,
I’m just a simpler sinner
Who received God’s good grace, somehow.



Fathers Love Letter
MAGNOLIAS
By Edna Ellison

I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles away. As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle . . So many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old!

To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church. After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and especially the flowers - would be remembered for years.

The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiancé Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown, gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding. Tim turned to me. "Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements." I mumbled, "Sure," as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links.

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. "Lord," I prayed, "please help me. I don't know anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!" I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a house... No dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man answered. So far so good . . . No shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, "I'd be happy to!" He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, "Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today."

"No, Ma'am," he said. "You don't understand what's happening here."

"What?" I asked.

"You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday . . . He paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. "On Wednesday I buried her." He looked away. "On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left."

I nodded.

"This morning," he continued, "I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, "Sir, I need you."

I stood with my mouth open.

He asked, "Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into my dark living room..." I assured him I was no angel.

He smiled. "Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those magnolias?"

"No."
"I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of them. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!"

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have said, "Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today." But God found a way. Through dead flowers.

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be.
It's the way it is.
The way you cope with it is what makes the difference."