Rich Beyond Measure
A number of years ago I was introduced to the poems of Robert W. Service. Service was sent by the Canadian Bank of Commerce in 1904 to work at their Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, branch. While there he became famous as the poet who chronicled the Klondike gold rush and the beauty of the frozen north. I enjoy Service’s Yukon poems and none more than one called “Comfort.”
Say! You’ve struck a heap of trouble—
Bust in business, lost your wife;
No one cares a cent about you,
You don’t care a cent for life;
Hard luck has of hope bereft you,
Health is failing, wish you’d die—
Why, you’ve still the sunshine left you
And the big, blue sky.
Sky so blue it makes you wonder
If it’s heaven shining through;
Earth so smiling ‘way out yonder,
Sun so bright it dazzles you;
Birds a-singing, flowers a-flinging
All their fragrance on the breeze;
Dancing shadows, green, still meadows—
Don’t you mope, you’ve still got these.
These, and none can take them from you;
These, and none can weigh their worth.
What! You’re rich—you’ve got the earth!
Yes, if you’re a tramp in tatters,
While the blue sky bends above
You’ve got nearly all that matters—
You’ve got God, and God is love.
In Service’s words we find a reminder that as beneficiaries of God’s Creation we are all rich indeed—rich beyond measure. When times get tough for us, or we just find ourselves feeling down, it truly does help to look around us and notice the wonders and beauty of nature.
This morning as I walked to the church building from my car I became aware that it was a glorious morning indeed. The sun was shining (that hasn’t happened a lot around here lately), the sky was a beautiful shade of blue, and the birds were singing their hearts out. In that moment I recognized that I was truly blessed and offered thanks to God. Surrounded by the beauty of God’s Creation I smiled for I knew that I had God, “and God is love.”
–Chuck
(The image above was taken in Yellowstone National Park along the Firehole River.)