ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

Over the meadow and through the woods to Bethany we go. Today my granddaughter will graduate from Bethany College in Mankato. The trip takes about an hour and a half, so we’ll be leaving soon. There’s a light flurry of snow, but I remember family trips on days like this when we worried about the weather. Think about the journey Mary and her betrothed husband Joseph took over rugged terrain with him guiding a donkey who carried Mary and the soon to be newborn baby, Jesus. If that trip had not been taken, things might have turned out differently, but it was all part of God’s plan that they return to the ancestral town of Bethlehem. It’s amazing how He weaves all events together to fulfill His promises.

Shortened days – lack of sunlight,
Fields are white and streets now glazed,
In the icy silence of a stolen breath,
Through wild anticipation of lost moments soon remembered,
Anxiously we wait for one who promised He would come.

In a manger – in a stable – gently laid upon the hay,
His return will be in glory, as a king he will arrive,
Through his power and his wisdom, he will judge and cast away,
All the evil and deception of the one whose only drive,
Is to make an interruption in the path we’ve chosen.

Light in darkness – sweet redemption – all my sins He melts away,
He brings life from deep depression – cradling in His arms each day.
In darkest hours I make confession of my guilt – I bare it all,
He forgives and grants me healing – He is there to take the fall,
I know He will always catch His dear children.

Frozen landscapes soon are hidden. Only pastures green remain,
He will lead me by still waters ’til He comes to earth again,
No fear of death will e’er surround me. I know it cannot sting me now,
I’ve given him my one possession – to Him my life I do endow,
Take me, oh Lord and use me to thaw hearts to find your gentle warmth.