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ABIDE WITH ME
Abide with me, fast
falls the eventide.
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers
fail and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
I need thy presence
ev’ry passing hour;
what but thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who like thyself my
guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with
me.
Swift to its close
ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass
away;
change and decay in
all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with
thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s
sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide
with me!
Hold thou thy cross
before my closing eyes,
shine through the
gloom, and point me to the skies;
heav’n’s morning
breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death,
O Lord, abide with me.
Text: Henry F. Lyte,
1793-1847
It’s a tradition in
my family to sing to children after bedtime prayers to help them
settle down for sleep. I can’t remember not knowing the first,
second and fifth verses of “Abide with Me,” which Mom included in
the bedtime songfest at least twice a week.
Even when I was
really young, the notion of where one day fits with respect to
forever took root. And it continues to grow. The best days and the
rottenest days of my young life were all small. When I’d look at the
good days, with games, trees to climb, creeks to explore, they were
just small tastes of what was still coming. When I’d look at the bad
days, they became more like bumps in the road, and not all that
tough.
The constant prayer
in this song is that Jesus stay close. A good or a bad day is still
truly and honestly good or bad, but whether it’s good or bad is not
so important when Jesus abides with me. The hymn has helped me pay
attention to how God is always near and how his hand is at work.
It’s also good to
know that God isn’t changing. I’m changing. The world around me is
changing. And the way in which I see and understand the world is
changing. Day turns to night, time passes by, and things are
different. But God was, is and will be the same. God is right there
next to me. He shines through any gloom and points me to the skies.
Jesus, thank you
for coming to us and staying with us. Please help us remember that
you’re always with us, keeping us your own.
Tim Meyer
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