Lord, keep me one–in deed, and word, and thought;
With such distractions all the world is rife
And different aspects cleave as with a knife
In fragments small the good that must be sought.
Give the controlling motive, for untaught
By Thy divinity I am at strife,
And shreds and patches make my troubles life;
From out my chaos order must be brought.
Oh, unify, direct, subdue, control
These warring elements, diverse desires,
These conflicts of the timid flesh with soul;
Hush Thou the voice that breathes the worldly word.
Attune these ears to hear Thee speak, O Lord–
Quench with Thy Spirit al the earthly fires!
Some people have trouble in discovering God’s guidance in everyday life. Perhaps the trouble is that they look for the direction in some unusual way, whereas, ordinarily, it is shown to them very simply. Lowell tells of one who journeyed to Horeb that he might see a revelation of God. After long search he found the revealing in some common little flowers. When he came home again he found these same flowers growing by his own doorstep. He need not have gone to Horeb to get what he sought.
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