This Miller’s Musings memory, from last year, popped up on my Facebook page this morning. As I read it, I was struck by how things have changed in the past year and how much has stayed the same, so I wanted to share it with you again.
As I read this Miller’s Musings I smiled, remembering how much Sweet Husband loved the old hymns. I closed my eyes and could see him walking through Hobby Lobby whistling and chuckled as I remembered how excited he was when we sang ‘How Great Thou Art’ at church one weekend. He loved the new music but, those old hymns held a special place in his heart. I can only imagine how Sweet Husband is loving the music in Heaven!
There are still so many situations and issues attempting to steal our peace in today’s world and that may never change but, as I shared in the Musings from last year, Isaiah 26:3 assures us: ‘You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.’
No matter what is happening in Ukraine, Washington, DC, Moscow, Indiana, or any other place on earth, we can have peace and assurance that God is with us and will take care of us. Fix your thoughts on God and know, if you trust Him, He will give you peace that will sustain you no matter what is happening around you.
I think I will take a trip to Hobby Lobby today and enjoy some of the old hymns.
I love Hobby Lobby! If you know me well, you know what an interesting statement that is coming from me. Shopping is one of my least favorite experiences, but I love going into Hobby Lobby.
Earlier this week, I went to Hobby Lobby in my hometown with my mom and sister. Sitting in the middle of the clearance area was exactly what I had been looking for and the price was right. But I did not pick it up and regretted it all the way home.
I told Sweet Husband about it and he said we would look around and find it. You see we have three different Hobby Lobbies within a 15-to-30-minute drive from our home and surely one of those would have the treasure. Sweet Husband loves to shop and is always up for a trip to any store.
Yesterday we were out and about and stopped at one of the newest Hobby Lobbies in our area and there it was! We brought it home, but then decided we needed another one. That would mean another trip to Hobby Lobby, but that would have to wait for another day.
Today was a busy day that included what was supposed to be a quick trip to IKEA, but their electronic payment system was down so all purchases had to be written up by hand and approved by a manager. Our “quick” trip took us 2 ½ hours. Then off to help our daughter with a project that took much longer than she expected. We finished at 5:35 and she had friends coming over at 6.
We were tired so I suggested we eat close by and then go home. Sweet Husband had a better idea. He suggested we go to the Hobby Lobby about ten minutes from our daughter’s apartment to see if they had what we were looking for. We could eat somewhere up there. I sighed but agreed.
We had a quiet dinner. Neither one of us said much because we were exhausted! I wanted to go home but knew it only made sense to see if our treasure was at this Hobby Lobby. To be honest the thought of walking into the store made me cranky because I knew there is no such thing as a quick trip to Hobby Lobby with Sweet Husband.
As we were walking in, I was only thinking about how my feet hurt and how much I wanted to just go home.
We walked in and did not see the treasure we were hunting. Sweet husband began walking up and down the aisles as I sighed and moaned quietly.
Then I heard it...the music. If you are a Hobby Lobby shopper, you know what I mean. One of the many things I like about shopping at Hobby Lobby is listening to the calming hymns playing in the store. The next thing I knew Sweet Husband was whistling along to “I Know Whom I Have Believed In...” Before long I was humming along with “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. It was not until we were checking out and I was listening to “Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior” that I realized how calm and peaceful I was feeling. As I put my debit card away, I thought how interesting it was that listening to those old hymns gave me such peace and calmed me down.
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 26:3: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.
That is a good verse to remember in the middle of the times we are living. So much is attempting to steal our peace and if we focus on the storm around us, we will have no peace. Listening to those hymns and singing the words to myself had certainly fixed my thoughts on God and his goodness and brought me peace.
All the crazy things happening in our country have been weighing heavily on my heart. Yet, as the song Sweet Husband was whistling in Hobby Lobby tonight states: “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day.”
These words are a direct quotation from the King James Bible in II Timothy 1:12 written by the apostle Paul while in prison for his faith. Even though he was in prison, he was confident and fully persuaded that he could trust in God. What a great example to follow.
The Bible records letters Paul wrote to the Philippians as well. These letters were written while he was still in prison. Paul wanted to show the Philippians that by centering their lives on Christ, they, too, might live in true joy no matter what they were facing. Here is what he says in Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
The words "joy" and "rejoice" are used 16 times in Philippians. If Paul could be joyful while in chains for doing nothing wrong, except telling others about Jesus, we should be able to be joyful amid the chaos in our world today. All we need to do is keep our minds focused on Christ and what is pure, right, noble and lovely.
If you are struggling to remain joyful, as I was, perhaps a trip to Hobby Lobby to hum along with the music might help. It helped me.
Here is a link to the Hymn “I Know Whom I Have Believed In.” Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINZWk6SEcQ