The Heart of the Matter

Jul 10, 2020 at 07:00 am by Paulette Jackson


I search my heart – I search, and find no faith.

Hidden he may be in its many folds –
I see him not revealed in all the world
Duty’s firm shape thins to a misty wraith.
No good seems likely. To and fro I am hurled.
I have to stay. Only obedience holds –
I haste, I rise, I do the thing he saith.

Be thou the well by which I lie and rest:

Be thou my tree of life, my garden ground;
Be thou my home, my fire, my chamber blest,
My book of wisdom, loved of all the best;
Oh, be my friend, each day still newer found,
As the eternal days and nights go round!
Nay, nay – thou art my God, in whom all loves are bound!

~George McDonald

The poems above are two of the many inspired pieces included in George McDonald’s book, Diary of an Old Soul, a collection of poems offering respite as well as an invitation to private prayer and meditation.

George McDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish preacher and writer of fantasy. He lived in poverty and in reiterated failure most of his life. While he suffered from “consumption” or pulmanary tuburculosis, his disposition appeared to continue as a “sunny and playful man,” resting back in what he considered “the holy present.” It was observed by others that he lived confidently in the Fourth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day, our daily bread.”

Speaking to God as a child to his father, McDonald’s prayers, while offered to a hidden God, are shrouded in the mystery of ineffable love.

For any soul, hungry for the bread of life, George McDonald’s sonnets offer a richness of meaning, over which to ponder and pray, allowing the soul to be diffused with light, as well as embraced with strength and comfort.

A gift from my dear son, on Mother’s Day, I love being drawn into quiet reflection and comforted by the One Who loves us most.

In these difficult days, weeks and months that have affected all of us, perhaps even drawing us to seek and search our own heart, I hope this book might be a resource for those interested in spiritual reflection, prayer and meditation.

 

Paulette Jackson

The thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are those belonging to Paulette Jackson lpc-mhsp and do not necessarily reflect those of any other professional or individual.

The artwork above is that of Paulette Jackson and may not be used without permisssion.