The Writing on the Wall

Judy and David busy at work

What do you put on a long, blank wall above your bed?  In earthquake country you think twice about that. No heavy thing should go up there, for sure.  But what should it be?

I searched for a long time before I came upon the perfect thing.  A stencil.

Missionary duties are varied!

It was hard finding the right message, though.  I considered Disney themes and various Biblical quotes.  One day I happened upon this text:  "All I have needed thy hand hath provided, great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me."

I began to cry.  I thought of how the Lord has lifted and sustained me, particularly through the last twenty years, through all manner of difficulties. I knew it was the text I wanted on the wall.

So, I purchased it and tucked it away for awhile, as it seemed a daunting task to get it on the wall correctly by myself.

I didn't know where the text came from, but through some simple research discovered it was from a poem written by a man named Thomas Chisholm.  He penned this poem in 1923 about the goodness of God over his lifetime:

Great is Thy Faithfulness

1

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

2

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

3

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

The stencil looks nice over my bed.
And it won't fall down and kill me in an earthquake!

It's funny, but the framed art photo on the left is from the same time period as the poem.  My newly-wed grandfather purchased it from an art shop in Oslo in the early 1920s because, he said, he thought it looked so much like my grandmother.

Putting the stencil on the wall seemed like a tricky task for one person, so I waited until I could enlist some help for the effort. Last night the lovely missionary couple serving in our Ward, Elder and Sister Allen, came by and it didn't take much coaxing for them to put the stencil on the wall for me.  Bless them! It was a fun evening.

I am delighted with the results!

The Lord truly does bless us in myriad ways.  I'm grateful for the good people in my life.

Have a wonderful day!