The Legend Of The Raindrop

THE LEGEND OF
THE RAINDROP

by HELEN STEINER RICE



THE LEGEND OF THE RAINDROP
HAS A LESSON FOR US ALL
AS IT TREMBLED IN THE HEAVENS
QUESTIONING WHETHER IT SHOULD FALL.
FOR THE GLISTENING RAINDROP ARGUED
TO THE ANGELS OF THE SKY,
"I AM BEAUTIFUL AND LOVELY
AS I SPARKLE HERE ON HIGH,
AND HANGING HERE I WILL BECOME PART
OF THE RAINBOW'S HUE
AND I'LL SHIMMER LIKE A DIAMOND
FOR ALL THE WORLD TO VIEW."
BUT THE ANGEL TOLD THE RAINDROP,
"DO NOT HESITATE TO GO,
FOR YOU WILL BE MORE BEAUTIFUL
IF YOU FALL TO EARTH BELOW,
FOR YOU WILL SINK INTO SOIL
AND BE LOST AWHILE FROM SIGHT,
BUT WHEN YOU REAPPEAR ON EARTH,
YOU'LL BE LOOKED ON WITH DELIGHT.
FOR YOU WILL BE THE RAINDROP
THAT QUENCHED THE THIRSTY GROUND
AND HELPED THE LOVELY FLOWERS
TO BLOSSOM ALL AROUND,
AND IN YOUR RESURRECTION
YOU'LL APPEAR IN QUEENLY CLOTHES
WITH THE BEAUTY OF THE LILY
AND THE FRAGRANCE OF THE ROSE.
THEN, WHEN YOU WILT AND WITHER, YOU'LL
BECOME PART OF THE EARTH
AND MAKE THE SOIL MORE FERTILE
AND GIVE THE NEW FLOWERS BIRTH."
FOR THERE IS NOTHING EVER LOST
OR ETERNALLY NEGLECTED,
FOR EVERYTHING GOD EVER MADE
IS ALWAYS RESURRECTED.









FOR YOUR UNFAILING LOVE
IS AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS.
YOUR FAITHFULNESS REACHES
TO THE CLOUDS.



PSALM 57:10
NLT



WHEN I AM AFFRAID,
I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN THEE.



PSALM 56:3
NAS



BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE
LEARNED TO ACCLAIM YOU,
WHO WALK IN THE LIGHT
OF YOUR PRESENCE, O LORD.



PSALM 89:15
NIV



SHEW THY MARVELLOUS LOVINGKINDNESS,
O THOU THAT SAVEST BY THY RIGHT HAND THEM
WHICH PUT THEIR TRUST IN THEE FROM THOSE
THAT RISE UP AGAINST THEM.



PSALM 17:7
KJV



IN MY DISTRESS I CALLED TO THE LORD;
I CRIED TO MY GOD FOR HELP.
FROM HIS TEMPLE HE HEARD MY VOICE;
MY CRY CAME BEFORE HIM, INTO HIS EARS.



PSALM 18:6
NIV



SEARCH FOR THE LORD AND HIS STRENGTH.
ALWAYS SEEK HIS PRESENCE.



PSALM 105:4
GOD'S WORD



BE GLAD THAT YOU ARE HIS;
LET THOSE WHO SEEK THE LORD
BE HAPPY.



PSALM 105:3
NCV



MY SOUL WILL BOAST IN THE LORD;
LET THE AFFLCTED HEAR AND REJOICE.



PSALM 34:2
NIV



YOU KNOW WHAT I LONG FOR, LORD;
YOU HEAR MY EVERY SIGH.



PSALM 38:9
NLT



AND I WILL WALK AT LIBERTY,
FOR I SEEK YOUR PRECEPTS.



PSALM 119:45
NKJV

So Many Reasons To Love The Lord

SO MANY REASONS TO LOVE THE LORD

by HELEN STEINER RICE



THANK YOU, GOD, FOR LITTLE
THINGS THAT COME UNEXPECTEDLY
TO BRIGHTEN UP A DREARY DAY
THAT DAWNED SO DISMALLY.
THANK YOU, GOD, FOR SENDING
A HAPPY THOUGHT THIS WAY
TO BLOT OUT MY DEPRESSION
ON A DISAPPOINTING DAY.
THANK YOU, GOD, FOR BRUSHING
THE DARK CLOUDS FROM MY MIND
AND LEAVING ONLY SUNSHINE
AND JOY OF HEART BEHIND.
OH, GOD, THE LIST IS ENDLESS
OF THINGS TO THANK YOU FOR,
BUT I TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED
AND UNCONSCIOUSLY IGNORE
THAT EVERYTHING I THINK OR DO,
EACH MOVEMENT THAT I MAKE,
EACH MEASURED RHYTHMIC HEARTBEAT, EACH BREATH OF LIFE I TAKE
IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE GIVEN ME FOR WHICH THERE IS NO WAY
FOR ME IN ALL MY SMALLNESS
TO IN ANY WAY REPAY.





BUT THOU, O LORD, ART A
GOD MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS,
SLOW TO ANGER AND ABUNDANT
IN LOVINGKINDNESS AND TRUTH.



PSALM 86:15
NAS



BUT I HAVE TRUSTED IN YOUR MERCY;
MY HEART SHALL REJOICE IN YOUR SALVATION.



PSALM 13:5
NKJV



HELP US, O GOD OF OUR SALVATION,FOR THE GLORY OF YOUR NAME;
DELIVER US, AND FORGIVE OUR SINS,
FOR YOUR NAME'S SAKE.



PSALM 79:9
NRSV



DO NOT REMEMBER THE SINS OF MY YOUTH
OR MY REBELLIOUS WAYS.
REMEMBER ME, O LORD, IN KEEPING WITH
YOUR MERCY AND YOUR GOODNESS.



PSALM 25:7
GOD'S WORD



AS MOUNTAINS SURROUND JERUSALEM,
THE LORD SURROUNDS HIS PEOPLE
NOW AND FOREVER.



PSALM 125:2
NCV



EVERY PATH OF THE LORD IS ONE OF MERCY AND TRUTH FOR THOSE WHO CLING TO HIS PROMISE AND WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS.



PSALM 25:10
GOD'S WORD



SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVINGKINDNESS WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE,
AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.



PSALM 23:6
NAS



BECAUSE YOUR LOVINGKINDNESS IS BETTER THAN LIFE, MY LIPS SHALL PRAISE YOU.



PSALM 63:3
NKJV



LORD, I LOVE YOUR HOME,
THIS SHRINE WHERE THE BRILLIANT,
DAZZLING SPLENDOR OF YOUR PRESENCE LIVES.



PSALM 26:8
TLB

Life Is Eternal

LIFE IS ETERNAL

by HELEN STEINER RICE





"LIFE IS ETERNAL,"
THE GOOD LORD SAID,
SO DO NOT THINK OF YOUR
LOVED ONE AS DEAD
FOR DEATH IS ONLY A STEPPING-STONE
TO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE WE HAVE NEVER KNOWN,
A PLACE WHERE GOD PROMISED
MAN HE WOULD BE
ETERNALLY HAPPY AND SAFE AND FREE,
A WONDERFUL LAND WHERE WE LIVE ANEW
WHEN OUR JOURNEY ON EARTH
IS OVER AND THROUGH
SO TRUST GOD AND DOUBT HIM NEVER,
FOR ALL WHO LOVE HIM LIVE FOREVER,
AND WHILE WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND
JUST LET THE SAVIOR TAKE YOUR HAND,
FOR WHEN DEATH'S ANGEL COMES TO CALL
GOD IS SO GREAT AND WE'RE SO SMALL...
AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU NEED FEAR
FOR FAITH IN GOD MAKES ALL THINGS CLEAR.



LIFE IS ETERNAL AND LOVE IS IMMORTAL
AND DEATH IS A GATEWAY-
AN ENTRANCE AND PORTAL-
INTO A LIFE THAT NO MAN CAN ENVISION,
FOR GOD HAS A GREATER PERSPECTIVE AND VISION.

H.S.R.







O SEND OUT YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR TRUTH;
LET THEM LEAD ME;
LET THEM BRING ME TO YOUR HOLY HILL
AND TO YOUR DWELLING.



PSALM 43:3
NRSV



YOU BLESS ALL THOSE WHO TRUST YOU, LORD,
AND REFUSE TO WORSHIP IDOLS OR FOLLOW
FALSE GODS. YOU, LORD GOD, HAVE DONE
MANY WONDERFUL THINGS, AND YOU HAVE
PLANNED MARVELOUS THINGS FOR US.
NO ONE IS LIKE YOU! I WOULD NEVER BE
ABLE TO TELL ALL YOU HAVE DONE.



PSALM 40:4-5
CEV



AS FOR ME, I WILL BEHOLD THY FACE IN
RIGHTEOUSNESS: I SHALL BE SATISFIED,
WHEN I AWAKE, WITH THY LIKENESS.



PSALM 17:15
KJV



YOU SHOW ME THE PATH OF LIFE.
IN YOUR PRESENCE THERE IS FULLNESS OF JOY;
IN YOUR RIGHT HAND ARE PLEASURES FOREVERMORE.



PSALM 16:11
NRS



GOD IS IN THAT CITY, AND SO IT WILL
NOT BE SHAKEN. GOD WILL
HELP HER AT DAWN.



PSALM 46:5
NCV



YOU HEARD THEIR CRIES FOR HELP AND
SAVED THEM. THEY PUT THEIR TRUST IN
YOU AND WERE NEVER DISAPPOINTED.



PSALM 22:5
NLT



I HAVE SET THE LORD CONTINUALLY BEFORE ME;
BECAUSE HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.



PSALM 16:8
NAS



IN THE FARTHEST CORNERS OF THE EARTH
THE GLORIOUS ACTS OF GOD SHALL STARTLE EVERYONE.
THE DAWN AND SUNSET SHOUT FOR JOY!



PSALM 65:8
TLB