At a time of uprooting and forsaking all once again, my wife was finding it difficult and this song came then. It held the promise of better things ahead as we had always experienced in similar times before. Encouraged, we plodded on.
Don’t ever let your bottom lip hang down;
Don’t let it happen when I’m around.
I’d rather see a smile on your face;
A frown on you is so out of place…
CHORUS:
You know there’s lots to be thankful for.
You needn’t crawl; let your spirit soar.
Before you know it I’ll be back for more
Of your smile…of your smile.
We all have troubles that are hard to take;
We have bad habits that are hard to break.
Don’t let them get you down for goodness’ sake;
You need to know your happiness is at stake…
CHORUS
There’s open highway just around the bend;
Morning’s almost here for us, my friend.
Then tears and sorrow will be at an end;
It won’t be long before for us He’ll send…
CHORUS
Lethbridge, AB; September 18, 1983
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It seemed we were saying farewell to all things of our past, not just human friends or acquaintances. It also seemed I was prophesying a parting in the future but which would come to an end, never to happen again.
This song came for Caren Lampitoc, whom Paul met in Philadelphia. How different we discovered the Christian walk to be in comparison to what we had expected or were led to believe it would be! It was lonely, painful of soul, friendless, fraught with enemies on all sides and the greatest enemy was on the inside. How we had to do battle with unbelief, with our carnal desires, ambitions, hopes, dreams, with the lusts of the flesh...lusting mostly for social security, belonging, importance, usefulness. All must be surrendered or lost; there really is no choice in the matter when the call of God is upon one. He that keeps his life loses it and if he loses it for the Lord's sake, it is still lost, if only for a time, even if replaced with more and better somewhere down the road. The main thing is that one must trust God in it all and let it happen. One must learn and accept that God is in charge of all things, working all for good.
We encountered an incident wherein religious people, friendly and all, counseled us to reconsider an undertaking we knew was the Lord's leading. We were learning that Satan's servants are ever there, with Bible under arm, God's praises on their lips, prepared to do battle "with love." The strange thing is that while I recall the Lord giving me what to say to these people, I do not recall what those words were, so occupied I was with learning another lesson.