Isaiah 25:1-9 ~ You have been a Stronghold

Isaiah 25:1-9

1 O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You;

I will praise Your Name, for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

2 For You have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the foreigners' palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.

3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify You; cities of ruthless nations will fear You.

4 For You have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in His distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, 5 like heat in a dry place. 

You subdue the noise of the foreigners; as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is put down.

6 On this mountain the LORD of Hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

7 And He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.

8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.

9 It will be said on that day, 

"Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation." 

Jeremiah 17:15

They keep saying to me, "Where is the Word of the LORD? 

Let it now be fulfilled!"

Psalm 72:11

May all kings bow down to Him and all nations serve Him.

John 14:13-14

And I will do whatever You ask in My Name, 

so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

14 You may ask Me for anything in My Name, and I will do it.

Matthew 8:11

I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 

in the Kingdom of Heaven

John 14:20

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, 

and you in Me, and I in you.

Revelation 21:4

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, 

neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, 

for the former things 

have passed away.

Matthew 1:23

They shall call His Name Immanuel, 

which means, 

God with us.

How many days a year do you drive the car of memories in reverse?

I will start by saying I did a Needlepoint Group from 2008 to 2015. And one day the Priest's wife was speaking about her oldest daughter's immigration to the UK. She had met a young man in college and had found a book shop job to see if this would be marriage.  We discussed the several points. He adored his mum and sisters. It was a loving family.  And mum didn't particularly want the brash American with aplomb and confidence in their glowing family. Every day everyone on their street had tea and a new cake with a visitor.  We all sighed and remembered friendly days with backyard BBQ and happier environments. 

In my childhood we had about 22 people in Dallas.  One family of 4 was always gone. But my family was me as the only child for 8 years and my circle of Grandmother's sister's family and my other Grandmother's family. All about 65 or 70 when I was born. This meant we had family dinners all the time.  A family of the faithful. 

Sending me to Parochial School. Every morning was Psalms and Eucharist.  My Step-Grandfather would speak about a Psalm and I would launch into the Hymn. He was pretty impressed. 

Isaiah 25:1-9

Is a Responsive Hymn I will remember forever. 

I got a chance to live the words of Isaiah's 25th Psalm in 3rd Grade.  Brian dotted in and out. We were all 9 and 10 years old, but Brian was there very sporadically. Sometimes he was great and other times not wonderful to be near. Play Not It in Gym and being caught by 12 yr old Brian. And thrown to the ground.  I jumped up and said that damn well hurt and I have LIKED YOU! Cried because my knee was bleeding. Causing a hush over 30 children. Brian didn't return the next day and I received some homemade cookies with a note saying sorry.

Brian was the longest living child worldwide with a decade of childhood Leukemia. Brian died about 3 months later in the early winter.  We had small classes and 3rd, 4th and 2nd cried in Morning Prayer when the Priest cried as he told us Brian had died.  And then told us he had known Brian's dad in youth group and his dad had died at age 32 of Leukemia.  And had really loved Brian's dad and knew him well as the first youth group of his vocation.  Didn't know Brian well, but visited with him over the years.

3rd and 4th attended a packed funeral from the Church. It was all done in white because Brian had asked for an all white funeral. My mom gave me a white coffee cup of White Lantana that had managed to be in bloom in the Texas early winter. I put it beside the head of the coffin being laid to rest. People really cried when I left the flowers. Later I would tell Tate, my step-grandfather, and he held my shoulder as I told him about the white lantana and the wail of tears. 

I cried for that entire day.  What is it like to lose a classmate while in 3rd grade in a class with 12 children?  We all had a kleenex.  And I was asked to cry more quietly. I said I would.  Mrs. Blair said about two o'clock, are you still crying? Yes. And I asked her aren't you crying? She began to flow like a waterfall.  Then we all cried. 

My father, Daddy, came home and we sat by the fire. My father noticed that my face was swollen.  He said tell me about the Service. The Funeral Service. I said the Psalm said this in it. We sat very quietly. For a long evening. 

Daddy finally asked me, what do you think happened to Brian. I told him the whole story again.  And he listened. Waited and said you know you told me that. Nodded. What do you think happened to Brian. My father, Daddy, was called Son by his family or Sonny.  I said I guess he went to see his own dad.  My dad nodded. What else?  He will see Jesus.  Yes, my father replied. 

"And," he asked?  I said, I don't know I can't picture this. "What can you see from listening in Morning Prayer?" Was his next question.  We sat quietly while I considered this.  

"Clouds."  Yes, Daddy answered, but that is very pretty, and everyone always says clouds, but there is probably much more. "Beauty."  Yes, you are closer.  Incredible Beauty like the Alps.  We had lived in France. 

I thought of the Psalm. "Where sorrow and sighing are gone, the pain, the awful pain is lifted.  Jesus wipes our tears away."

We sat quietly. My Daddy asked, "Can you feel this?"  

"Yes. I feel that Brian is no longer in pain. He is not completely bald.  He has his lost father with him. He isn't afraid of pain and illness and dying. He has everything and still misses his mom and sister."

My Dad asked again, "Do you feel this and believe this?"

"Yes, I do."

"All the Promises of God. Fulfilled."

So we went in a couple of weeks to see Tate.  And discussed all of this over Sunday Roast Lunch.  I got to tell Tate all about this. And how Daddy had comforted me so much.  Tate said, "Your grandmother always called her father Daddy too. All her life. And she loved him so much."  I then told Tate all about how quiet the room was with the fire in the fireplace and how he had waited for my answers.

Tate spent a few minutes telling my father what a great father he was and how privileged his children were to have their parents and home. He was so proud of my father.  Grandmother Bit called him Son.

And then I said, "Yes, and the next night he said, terrific we don't have to talk about this all evening."  Tate gave me an appraising look.  He scratched his chin and said, "Ah Life. And that's the way it is. Remember the other part!"

Sounds Rock Solid to me. Tate offered up some good advice too. Good deal. "Second star to the right and straight on to morning."

And

Oh, the places we grow!

Abba, Father,

God's Good Creation.

Exodus 33

“Moses asked: 

If You are pleased with me, teach me Your Ways 

so I may know You

 and 

continue to find favor with You. 

Remember that this Nation is your people.” 

14 The Lord replied, 

“My Presence will go with you, 

and 

I will give you rest.”

Jesus Christ is God's Word Manifest

appearing in Creation as

Light.

So far beyond what we see, beyond our ideas of time and space, physical body

and Spiritual Almighty.

The Power of God

is like the Sunlight

visiting us from above.

God upholds the Universe

Our Father upholds the Universe

with the Power of His Word.

Our Father,

God the Almighty,

Creator of Heaven and earth,

Creator of all things. 

As we consider

Your Love

and 

Your Light,

Let Jesus be part of our existence

like Light

Light is required and generated as we are conceived.

In Your Light

we exist and have our being.

The warmth of Light

makes Life possible

in the vast

darkness, of a dark and cold universe

this small, small planet

reflects the Light of The Sun

or Son, Holy Son

And we

exist.

Light increases our abilities to wake

and go forth

to make our lives filled

with the deeds You would want.

Light tells

us

to Rest, as the Light rests.

Light causes renewal.

Light is joy, as Spring begins again.

All of mankind rejoices.

Light creates wellness

and mankind holds on to the Light.

Our Prayers 

travel to Heaven

like Light

continues for years.

We ask, Father,

The Light of 

Jesus Christ

to fill us daily

to do as You would Will and Want

to give us the Light

and fill us with

Your Steadfast Love.

We ask all healing of You, Father,

We ask Your Love and Warmth

would be our energy each day

and the Hope

and Faith

and Love

guiding us.

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

Peace and the Joy God gives us.

And we will finish well, 

in Jesus Christ. 

Please, Father,

Bless Edward with healthy retinas

and us both to have a day of rest

with a full and good recovery

Edward to heal, please, without additional surgery

and our family with health

and the dreams we have,

Your Will and Peace

as the little baby has colic fairly intensely.

We have had an intense week

Peace and Prosperity for the Godly

Healing

Joy of the Lord

Help us seek and find 

and bring,

become,

 more Heaven

to this earth.

In the Name of Jesus 

fill us

surround us

embolden us

lead us

redeem us

and keep us forever.

Lord Jesus Christ

Only Son of God, our Father.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You, Jesus