Morning Coffee

I sat outside on our deck this morning for the first time this year.  I had my coffee mug (which got cool very quickly, by the way), my Smartphone with its camera and Our Own Hymn-Book.  I marveled at the beauty of God’s creation, and the peace that can best be seen early in the morning.  I listened as the birds scolded me for invading their bird feeder space and then flew away to await my departure.  Then I picked up my hymnal, opened it up and read the first hymn that caught my eye.  It was hymn #214, written by Joseph Addison in 1712.  This is what I read:

WHEN all Thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys,
Transported with the view, I’m lost
In wonder, love, and praise.

Oh how shall words, with equal warmth,
The gratitude declare
That glows within my ravish’d heart!
But Thou canst read it there.

To all my weak complaints and cries,
Thy mercy lent an ear.
Ere yet my feeble thoughts had learnt
To form themselves in prayer.

When in the slippery paths of youth
With heedless steps I ran,
Thine arm unseen convey’d me safe,
And led me up to man.

Through hidden dangers, toils, and death,
It gently clear’d my way;
And through the pleasing snares of vice,
More to be fear’d than they.

When worn with sickness, oft hast Thou
With health renew’d my face;
And when in sins and sorrow sunk,
Revived my soul with grace.

Through every period of my life
Thy goodness I’ll pursue;
And after death, in distant worlds,
Thy glorious theme renew.

When nature fails, and day and night
Divide Thy works no more,
My ever grateful heart, O Lord!
Thy mercy shall adore.

Through all eternity to Thee
A joyful song I’ll raise;
But oh! eternity’s too short
To utter all Thy praise.

These poor pictures, taken with my Smartphone, don’t do the view justice.  Even if taken with my real camera, or the best camera available, they wouldn’t do justice to capturing God’s creation.  Even the creation we see doesn’t fully show us the beauty of what God originally created, before sin came into the picture and obscured our view.  But then, as the words of this hymn tell us, creation is a small part of what we have to be thankful for.