Sunday

I'm so thankful for the beauty around me. The way the sun shone on this tree and across the tips of the tree line was so beautiful against the dark clouds.

Yesterday was one of those days. No one could get along for long. The bad moods were contagious. The picking and bickering, even with a friend over, seemed endless. As we went to our small group last night, I was struggling with a bad attitude about the day. As we walked in, late, they were singing my favorite song, "Sing to the King." I'll post it some day. It's such an inspiring song. Usually the band is very LOUD, but last night there were just two--Katie and Chip (Katie is Sam's teacher:) and an acoustic guitar. Chip sang this beautiful song, "How Deep the Father's Love for Us." I have heard it before, but I don't remember ever singing it. It goes:

{

How deep the fathers love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give his only son

To make a wretch His treasure

[

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

[

Behold the Man upon the cross

My sin upon His shoulder

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice

Call out amoung the scoffers

[

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

[

I will not boast in anything

No gifts no power no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

[

Why should I gain from His reward

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

[

© 1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music

As I sang "Ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers," all of the hard things of the day came flooding in. In that moment, I understood how all of my sins added to the voices that day when He died on the cross. That for those sins that come so quickly and easily, Jesus took the punishment. I'm moved again today as I read the words, His wounds have paid my ransom. I will never suffer the penalty of my casual and not so casual sin because Jesus finished that payment on the cross. The word thankful is truly inadequate.