A Promising Life's Path (5)

Life Wisdom Quotes

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” — Maya Angelou

“My father gave me the best advice of my life. He said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t wake up at 65 years old and think about what you should have done with your life.'” —George Clooney

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, but just felt in the heart." — Helen Keller

"My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can." — Cary Grant

AND IT WAS THE FAMOUS GRACIE ALLEN OF THE VAUDEVILLE ERA, WHO WENT ON TO OPINE THIS ABOUT LIFE......

“NEVER PLACE A PERIOD WHERE GOD HAS PLACED A COMMA.......”

PERHAPS YOU’VE HEARD IT SAID A TIME OR TWO ABOUT A WOMAN, MAN OR CHILD...... “MY, MY, MY, THAT

CHILE HAS PROMISE.......” AND WHEN I’VE HEARD THAT IN THE PAST IT RANG DEEP DOWN IN MY SOUL AS A

STATEMENT ABOUT A CHILD’S POSSIBLE LIFE PATH NOT JUST THEIR ADOLESCENCE, OR THEIR TIME IN

THEIR TERSE TEEN YEARS OR THEIR TRY IT OUT TWENTIES...... BUT PROMISE…FOR THEIR WHOLE LIFE’S

PATH, THEIR WHOLE LIFE’S JOURNEY PERHAPS..........

ONE UNDENIABLE PROMISING LIFE’S PATH WAS SURELY LIVED OUT BY ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI.....WE SEE CLEARLY HIS

PROMISE IN TWO STORIES IN HIS LIFE THAT TOOK PLACE BEFORE HE BECAME KNOWN FOR FOUNDING THE FRANCISCAN

ORDER OF MONKS.....

ST. FRANCIS TOLD OF HOW HE WAS WALKING ON A ROAD THROUGH THE WOODS. HE SAW IN THE DISTANCE A MAN

COMING IN HIS DIRECTION. AS THE MAN DREW CLOSER, FRANCIS COULD SEE THAT HE WAS A LEPER, WITH FINGERS

MISSING AND HIS FACE DISFIGURED. HE HAD COMPASSION ON THE MAN. HE LOOKED AT THE LEPER. THEIR EYES MET.

HE SMILED. AS THEY PASSED, FRANCIS MUTTERED A PRAYER ASKING GOD TO BLESS THE MAN. A FEW STEPS LATER HE

STOPPED. HE TURNED AND LOOKED BACK. THE MAN WAS LOOKING BACK AT HIM, BUT WHAT FRANCIS SAW WAS NOT

THE LEPER HE HAD PASSED ON THE ROAD BUT THE FACE OF JESUS HIMSELF.

ST. FRANCIS SHOWS US THE VITALITY OF LIFE WHEN WE TRULY SEE PEOPLE. THE JOY OF SHARING A SMILE. AND THE

WONDER OF ACTING COMPASSIONATELY IN THE MOMENT WHEN HE DECIDED TO PRAY FOR THAT LEPER

THE 2nd STORY OF ST. FRANCIS IS REMEMBERED THIS WAY:

IN 1211, ON A PILGRIMAGE TO SPAIN, ST FRANCIS ENCOUNTERED A CAPTAIN OF THE MEDRANO FAMILY WHO HELD THE

LORDSHIP OF THE CASTLE AND TOWN OF AGONCILLO, SITUATED NEAR THE CITY OF LONGRONO, IN THE REGION OF LAS

RIOJA, SPAIN. MEDRANO’S SON WAS SUFFERING FROM A MYSTERIOUS AND UNTREATABLE AILMENT. YET, ST. FRANCIS

MUST HAVE SEEN SOME PROMISE FOR THE BOY’S LIFE. WHEN ST. FRANCIS GOT TO THE CASTLE HE LAID HIS HANDS ON

THE AILING BOY AND MIRACULOUSLY HEALED HIM, SECURING THE MEDRANO LINEAGE IN AGONCILLO. AS A RESULT THE

MEDRANO FAMILY ARE DISTINGUISHED IN THEIR DEVOTION TO ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI. THEY GENEROUSLY DONATED

SOME LAND, INCLUDING A TOWER AS A GIFT TO ST. FRANCIS WHERE HE ESTABLISHED THE FIRST SPANISH CONVENT

THERE.

SURELY ST. FRANCIS REMAINS A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF ONE WHO HEARD AND HEEDED THE WORDS OF THE PSALMIST

WHOSE VERSE WE READ TODAY.......ST. FRANCIS FOUND COMPLETE JOY IN THE LORD’S PRESENCE AND PLEASURES BY HIS

SIDE......

Psalm 16:11 GW

You make the path of life known to me.  Complete joy is in your presence.  Pleasures are by your side forever. 

WE CAN LIVE OUT A PROMISING LIFE’S PATH WHEN WE TOO, HEAR AND HEED THE PSLAMIST’S WORDS IN

PSALM 16.....

FOR PSALM 16 IS THE PRAYER OF ONE WHO HAS DEVOTED HERSELF OR HIMSELF ENTIRELY TO GOD’S

CARE…IN OTHER WORDS, IT’S A PRAYER TO LIVE OUT ONE’S PROMISE IN THIS LIFE, AS WE SEEK TO FIND

THE PATH OF LIFE THE GOOD LORD CRAFTS FOR US.....

FOR EACH ONE OF US THAT PATH MAY BE DIFFERENT BUT WE STILL ARE CALLED TO FAITHFULLY FIND &

FOLLOW IT.......

FOR EACH ONE OF US THAT PATH MAY BE CHALLENGING BUT IN THOSE TIMES WE HAVE THE ASSURANCES

OF COMPLETE JOY IN THE LORD’S PRESENCE......AND PLEASURES WHEN THE LORD IS BY OUR SIDE.....

THIS IS OUR GOD IN DIVINE WISDOM AND CLOSENESS TO US........

AND FINALLY, FOR EACH ONE OF US IT IS THE DIVINE HAND THAT CREATES THAT PATH, THAT SOOTHES US WHEN WE LOSE

OUR WAY......THAT CLAIMS US EVEN IF WE HEAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION OR DOWN THE WRONG PATHWAY THE LEADS

TOWARDS OUR OWN DESTRUCTION.......

AND FOR ALL THAT, WE SHOULD NEVER BE AFRAID TO GIVE GOD PRAISE AND THANKS.......ISSAC WATTS, THE

CONGREGATIONALIST HYMN WRITER....LIVED OUT HIS PROMISING LIFE’S PATH A PRODIGY....AT AGE 5, HE LEARNED LATIN-

AT AGE 9, HE LEARNED GREEK, AT AGE 11 FRENCH AND AT 13 HEBREW. HE GAVE THE WORLD SOME 600 HYMNS DURING

HIS LIFETIME......MANY OF THEM FAMOUS ONES, WHICH YOU’D KNOW WELL IF WE WERE TO SING THEM.....

I CLOSE WITH THE INSPIRATION OF THE LYRICS OF ONE OF WATT’S HYMNS TO GIVE GOD PRAISE FOR GOD’S AWESOME

ABILITY TO LEAD, GUIDE AND DIRECT ALL OUR PATHS, BELOVEDS.....THE HYMN SAYS:

I SING THE ALMIGHTY POWER OF GOD

THAT MADE THE MOUNTAINS RISE,

THAT SPREAD THE FLOWING SEAS ABROAD,

AND BUILT THE LOFTY SKIES.

I SING THE WISDOM THAT ORDAINED THE SUN TO RULE THE DAY;

THE MOON SHINES FULL AT GOD’S COMMAND, AND ALL THE STARS OBEY.

I SING THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD WHO FILLED THE EARTH WITH FOOD,

WHO FORMED THE CREATURE THROUGH THE WORD, AND THEN PRONOUNCED THEM GOOD.

LORD, HOW THY WONDERS ARE DISPLAYED, WHERE’ER I TURN MY EYE,

IF I SURVEY THE GROUND I TREAD, OR GAZE UPON THE SKY!

THERE’S NOT A PLANT OR FLOWER BELOW, BUT MAKES THY GLORIES KNOWN,

AND CLOUDS ARISE, AND TEMPESTS BLOW, BY ORDER FROM THY THRONE;

CREATURES THAT BORROW LIFE FROM THEE ARE SUBJECT TO THY CARE;

THERE’S NOT A PLACE WHERE WE CAN FLEE, BUT GOD IS PRESENT THERE........LET US PRAY....