Thought for the Sabbath

Every year in my home ward, we have a 'favorite hymn' Sunday.  There are around five speakers.  Each stands up, picks a hymn, shares why they chose it, and then the congregation sings it.  I've never spoken during this meeting, but it gives me a good opportunity to think about what I would say if someone asked me about my favorite hymn.

(play the video for the music, then scroll down and read while you listen)

I've involuntarily had this song playing in my head for the past several weeks. The words illustrate the feelings every soul on the earth has felt before.

Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace

When other sources cease to make me whole?

When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,

I draw myself apart, Searching my soul?

He answers privately, reaches my reaching

in my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.

Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.

Constant he is and kind, love without end.

Certainly, I can identify with these words.  S. Michael Wilcox wrote a book called "When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered." He introduces the concept which he calls "the fourth watch." He explains how days were divided in New Testament time.  "The night was divided into four watches: the first watch was from six in the evening until nine at night.  The second watch nine until midnight, the third watch from midnight until three in the morning, and the fourth watch from three in the morning until about sunrise."  Remember the story of the disciples on a boat, being tossed by the sea?  You may not have noticed before, but in Matthew it says "about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea..." Christ doesn't come to rescue them until the fourth watch! All night they were being tossed about, praying for rescue, but they didn't receive relief until the fourth watch!  Wilcox compares this with our trials: sometimes we're praying and praying to be rescued.  We don't understand why the Lord can't come sweep us away during the first watch.  But He waits.  I thought I was deep in the fourth watch when I read this book.  For weeks after that I often thought to myself "hello! We're in the fourth watch here!  Time to be rescued!" But I wasn't in the fourth watch.  I wasn't to my limit.  I hadn't learned what needed to be learned and therefore I wasn't ready for rescue.

So back to the song.  He is the only place we can truly turn for peace when other sources still leave us wanting.  The critical part is that He is the only one that knows just when to rescue us.  He brings the gentle peace we're looking for, when we're ready to feel it.  He doesn't often gallop in on a noble white steed- just like the song says, he answers privately. What an image is this: he 'reaches my reaching'. He quietly begins to heal us, and patiently teaches us how to keep that peace with us.

We know we can feel peace if we keep reaching.  He'll reach us.  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)