Irish Thoughts On A Mostly Cloudy Day

 

So, the clouds continue.  Sometimes it’s been hard to deal with this winter and spring.  We’re very thankful for the rain we have gotten, but the clouds are getting to me, even with all the proactive things I do to help. (See Dealing with SAD – Seasonal Affected Disorder.)

I guess the weather is appropriate for today, though, since it is St. Patrick’s Day.  I’m fairly confident that many people who celebrate it are totally unaware of the fact that Patrick was a real Christian missionary and not a Roman Catholic.  You might find this page, which is loaded with information on Patrick, to be quite interesting today:  Patrick of Ireland.

In case you are interested, I posted a recipe for Irish Soda bread in the past – something you may wish to try out.

I actually have Irish roots myself.  One of my great-grandmothers was Lura Murray, of Irish descent. :-)  I don’t have a picture of her to share, I’m sorry to say.  I don’t even know if one exists in our possession.  She married an unsaved man and lived a marginal Christian life for years.  After her husband died she and my grandfather (who was the youngest of five children) got involved in a Mennonite church and she became a vibrant Christian.  In those years she wasn’t even sure exactly when she had gotten saved.  She used to say that she had made a profession as a girl though she wasn’t sure about it, “…but I know I am saved now!” (With a smile.)

After all, isn’t that the important thing?  We may not all be able to pin a day or hour to when we were born again, but we need to know that we are now, and that He doesn’t let us go no matter what!

John 10:27-28  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Great-grandma Lura was an invalid for many years due to a heart condition and debilitating arthritis.  The pastor of their church used to say, “I went to visit Mrs. Van Nattan to cheer her up, and I came away cheered up myself.”  What a beautiful testimony that is!  I treasure her memory (given to me by my grandfather) and look forward to meeting her in heaven.

This is an instrumental of the ancient Irish hymn “Be Thou My Vision”.  It is said to be from the 8th century.