The Longer I Serve Him, The Sweeter He Grows

One of the greatest blessings in my life was to be born into a Christian family.  My parents were faithful to be in God’s House whenever “the doors were open!”  I know that gets tossed about as bad or legalistic these days, but my parents were at church when the doors were open because they loved the Lord and being with other people who loved the Lord.  So when I was a teenager…boy that seems weird to write, especially as my 40th Class Reunion is in a few weeks…the youth group was my social life.  We had a great youth group with weekly Saturday night activities, a leadership circle that met every Thursday evening, Sunday School class, and every Sunday night we had a “Sing!”  That was so much fun…we had a man who played his electric guitar and a woman who could keep up with him on the accordion.  Add to that several of our youth group that strummed their own guitar, banjo or ukulele!  Mingled into the singing was loads of testimony time. Because of those two things, church and youth group, I have a head full of hymns and choruses about Jesus!  What a wonderful thing that is.  Those songs do not have power nor energy of their own, but they are full of God’s truths and He has used them so many times to bring encouragement and joy to my heart.  It’s just so interesting that a little tune starts humming in my head and when I stop tp track it down, it is usually a hymn or chorus. 

Most recently an old Gaither song has been filling my heart.  It got stirred up because my Dad, who lives with us and who is in the midst of grieving the loss of his wife of 66 years, has been listening to a George Beverly Shea CD.And on that CD is the song, The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows.

For several mornings now as I am drying my hair and dreading the start of my day, I stand there and try to sort out my feelings.  I’m not much of a morning person anyway and it is usually in the morning that Satan lays a snare for me and I walk right into it!  I’m struggling with the new way of life I have as a caregiver and I’m not always so caring and giving.  Like a Mom of toddlers there’s not much time to yourself.  So I like to dry my hair…kind of wish it was longer!  But in those moments, phrases from that song come along and lift my feet out of the trap of self pity. 

Since I started for the kingdom, Since my life He controls; Since I gave my heart to Jesus, The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.

But the verse that really grips my heart with truth is this one:

Every need He is supplying, Plenteous grace He bestows. Every day my way gets brighter, The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.

EVERY NEED and PLENTEOUS GRACE!  Those words bring me to tears as I dwell in their reality!  How very good my God is, how very gracious to me who likes her own way.

This is Mom, Dad and my sister Jo last August.  I took this photo the morning I picked Jo Ellen up to take her to the airport at the end of her summer vacation.  These three had no idea what changes their lives would take in less than a year!  Mom would be with Jesus in October.  You just do not know what the future holds, so be sure you know the One Who holds the future!  (Another great little song).  

And this is my wonderful husband Wally and I this past Easter.  Not many men would open the door to let their in-laws move in much less a sister-in-law who is cognitively disabled.  But he did.  It’s not been easy but I sure could not be doing this without him! 

And it is Wally who has been telling me to blog again.  So here it is, my first blog post in a lon-ong time!