...ten thousand beside!

I think it's fair to say when you move away from home, homesickness can side swipe you at any time. When you move to the other side of the world, with a new husband, a new job and a home town where people do not understand the question 'how are you going?', homesickness can smack you in the face with surprising force. Couple this with a cowardly and deceitful devil trying to undermine you from any angle and 3 friends experiencing deaths of loved ones and you get a somewhat tumultuous few days. Praise the Lord that through hard times even then, He is wanting to reach out, teach and protect us.

While at Aunt Jessie's funeral today (not my Aunt, but it seems to be her full name!) we sung this hymn. I love the last verse, 'Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!'.

My plan for tomorrow? Count just 5 of my blessings, and thank God for them.

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!

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.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

 words - Thomas Chisholm

pic via weheartit