A Chaplain’s Reflections
Published by David Y Bevington at Smashwords
Copyright 2010 by David Y Bevington
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Smile, God Loves You
Smile, God loves you.
He loves you in a thousand ways.
Smile, God loves you,
is something we all need to say.
When you are sad and discouraged
He comes to you;
When you are glad and encouraged,
He’ll be there too.
Smile, God needs you,
to love someone who’s sad today.
Smile, God wants you
to put your love out on display.
When we will live in His presence,
He’ll bless each day.
Smile, God loves you,
He loves you in a special way.
Reflections on the Water
Reflections in the water
are mirrored perfectly.
Peace and quietness abound
in the things we see.
Fall has come upon us,
brightening the scene.
Quietness surrounds us;
all is now serene.
In our quiet moments
we reflect once more
On the scenes of nature
God lets us explore.
Quietness restores us,
gives us inner peace.
In our quiet moments
we can find release.
Tribulation
One grain of sand on an endless shore
fell into an oyster shell one day.
The oyster, unable to deal with the pain
created a substance
to make it round and smooth
to cover its pain.
Day by day the oyster sought
to remove its pain,
and a priceless pearl
was created that way.
One small source of irritation
comes into your life.
Unable to remove the pain,
you accept it and pray.
Your tribulation is like that grain of sand.
Unable to remove the irritation,
you cover it with prayer.
Polished by the travail of your soul,
the irritation is dealt with
in a godly way.
You create a pearl you alone can see,
with patience, character and hope
that enriches your soul.
The Shepherd Leads Us
God leads by the mountain,
the river, the dell.
He stands by his flock,
assists without fail.
He lifts us to safety,
protects us from harm.
His rod and his staff
keep us from alarm.
God walks in the valley
where shadows bring fear;
He stands on the mountain
where blue skies appear.
The Shepherd is with us
through thick and through thin;
When found in His presence,
we find peace within.
God’s Signature of Love
God places his signature on all He has designed,
the flower,
the trees,
the mountains,
sunsets.
Remember to give thanks to our Creator
for who He is,
for what He has done,
for His signature of love.
The Shepherd of Old
See Psalms 23
The shepherd of old
took care of his sheep.
He led them to pasture;
his care was complete.
He tended their wounds,
anointed the sick,
And called each by name
at the close of each trip.
When sheep were cast down,
he set them aright;
He offered protection
to them in the night.
The shepherd described
in Psalms twenty-three
desires to care
for you and for me.
On The Wings of an Eagle
Three eaglets rested in a nest
upon a cliff one day.
The time had come for them to fly,
but they desired to play.
One eaglet perched upon the edge
and spread her wings to fly;
She fell a thousand feet or so,
and made an awful cry.
From high above, the mother bird
swooped somewhere from the west,
To catch the fledgling on her wings,
and take it to the nest.
When we have fallen in despair,
God catches us mid-air.
He gently lifts us on the wings
of our concerted prayer.
Waters That Must Flow
Bright flowers stand in contrast
to waters that must flow.
They seem to hold their heads aloft
to give their silent show.
The waters keep on flowing
as if upon a quest,
Ever flowing downward,
full of life and zest.
Both images impress me,
for both must have their way;
The flowers simply hold their ground;
the waters flow away.
We make all kinds of choices
as all God’s children know.
At times, we simply hold our place,
at other times, we flow.
The Meaning of Tribulation
See Romans 5:1-3
One grain of sand
surrounded by millions more
found its way into an oyster shell one day.
Irritated, unable to deal with this pain,
the oyster responded.
Layer by layer it covered
the grain of sand
until a lovely pearl was born.
One human soul, racked by pain,
is unable to sooth the pain…
One isolated from the joy of life
on a sea of troubles
comes to the throne of God.
Tribulation
works patience.
Patience develops character.
Character produces hope
to create a pearl of faith
which has been cultured
in the arena of life.
By learning to deal with tribulation
we are sustained by the grace of God.
God Smiles at You
God smiles at you.
His love embraces you
where you are right now.
His joy can fill your life to overflowing.
Rejoice in that love.
Smile, God loves you.
God cares for you.
Every detail of creation
displays the signature of
one who cares.
Know that you are
a creation of God,
special,
unique,
beautiful,
complete.
Smile, God loves you.
The Thomas Edison Train
The train called Thomas Edison
is a great sight to see.
It chugs along its charted course
and ambles leisurely.
The history this train proclaims
came not by accident.
Insight and perception came
by one great man’s intent.
The practice of persistence,
of working toward a goal
Can turn us from discouragement
and make life rich and full.
The man named Thomas Edison
has changed the world we see;
Bringing inspiration
to folks like you and me.
Tumbling Waters
Water flows between the rocks
to form a great cascade.
Flowers blossom everywhere;
refreshing mists are made.
Rainbows form above the falls
when sunlight gently falls.
Tumbling waters flow along
between the canyon walls.
Waters that are flowing
have power as they flow.
Waters that are stagnant
are putrid as we know.
Never sit and worry;
don’t fear the pain you face…
But draw from that unending source
of God’s amazing grace.
The Seed is Reborn
Flowers in an open field
Display God’s hand to me.