Then [Jesus] climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:51-52
“God Forgive Me When I Whine”
The other day upon a bus,
I saw a lovely girl with golden hair,
I envied her, she seemed so sweet
And wished I were as fair.
Then suddenly, she turned to go
And hobbled down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch
And as she passed, a smile.
Oh, God forgive me when I whine
I have two legs, the world is mine.
Then I stopped to buy some sweets,
The lad who sold them had such charm.
I paused to talk, he seemed so glad
And if I were late would do no harm.
As I left, he said to me, “I thank you, sir,
You have been so kind.
‘Tis nice to talk to folks like you
Because you see I’m blind.”
Oh, God forgive me when I whine,
I have two eyes, the world is mine.
Later walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play,
It seemed he knew not what to do.
I gazed a moment and then I said,
“Why don’t you join the others, dear?”
He looked ahead nor said a word.
And then I knew, he could not hear.
Oh, God forgive me when I whine,
I have two ears, the world is mine.
And with legs to take me where I go
And with eyes to see the sunset glow.
And with ears to hear what I would know
Oh, God forgive me when I whine,
I’m blessed indeed, the world is mine.
“God Forgive Me When I Whine” from The Busby Scrapbook of Poems That Touch the Heart compiled by Howard K. Busby, 1980.
My dear friend and mentor, Dan Busby, posted this poem on his CaringBridge site on Saturday. It touched me deeply, and I pray it ministers to you. Dan has been told he might have only short time left to live. So, rather than whine about it, he has resolved to focus on his blessings and live every day to the fullest without whining.
It got me thinking. We are all terminally ill. Unless our LORD returns first, we are all going to die. So, how should we live? Today’s Scripture offers the answer. We must remember that Christ is with us in the storms of life, and rather than whine about hard times and develop hard hearts, we can rest in knowing we have all we need in Christ.
That was the lesson of the loaves. When we give God what we have, He always makes sure we have enough. We can share our blessings and trust Him with our challenges. This way of living becomes our most generous contribution to the world around us, where lots of people are whining. Thanks for not whining, Dan! God forgive us when we whine.