INFINITE WISDOM

Last week I was praying earnestly that something would not happen. As I re-read this poem God reminded and assured me that even if that very thing did occur, the story would not be over with that event. He was still at work with bigger plans than my horizon could contain. And peace began to invade my soul.

When it happened (and it did) I was very sad but for the moment able to remember these four people's histories. As I saw beyond their crisis and into God's delivering work around the corner this perspective revived my hope in what He is doing in my little corner of the world. My situation had nothing to do with children. Yours may not either. Still the perspective of God's bigger plan is true and produces hope. That's why I wanted to share the poem with you. 

     Had I Been Joseph's Mother
          Ruth Bell Graham


     Had I been Joseph's mother
     I'd have prayed
     protection from his brothers:
     "God keep him safe;
     he is so young, 
     so different from
     the others."
     Mercifully
     she never knew
     there would be slavery
     and prison too.* 

     Had I been Moses' mother
     I'd have wept
     to keep my little son;
     praying she might forget
     the babe drawn from the water
     of the Nile,
     had I not kept
     him for her
     nursing him the while?
     Was he not mine
     and she
     but Pharaoh's daughter?**

     Had I been Daniel's mother
     I should have pled
     "Give victory!
     This Babylonian horde-
     godless and cruel-
     don't let them take him captive
     -better dead,
     Almighty Lord!***

     Had I been Mary-
     Oh, had I been she,
     I would have cried
     as never mother cried,
     "Anything, O God,
     anything
     but crucified!"

     With such prayers 
     importunate
     my finite wisdom
     would assail
     Infinite Wisdom;

     God, how fortunate
     Infinite Wisdom
     should prevail! 

       ----

     *Genesis 37
     **Exodus 2
     ***Daniel 1

Carolyn Roper
May 1995