Lord, You've Been Good to Me

My mind whirls as I remember the way this trip came to be. It was born as a simple dream to see our daughter settled into her new home in the province of her birth, British Columbia. A dream to spend Thanksgiving with her so she can bear our Christmas love to her sibling, our other precious child, far across the ocean in New Zealand. But God had much more to the dream than even I could plan - a gathering in and celebration of our life from before Uganda, a first holiday for me, a first flight for me, a first reconnection for me, for almost ten years. Each detail has come to fruition almost as soon as it was conceived. Every person we have contacted to see has been able and eager to see us. Our itinerary reads like a bus tour with each day carefully and delightfully planned. The only difference is that we are the bus drivers, in our rented Honda Civic. My conclusion: this trip is totally a God-thing.

So, with delight I prepared the final details of packing. By the time you read this we will be two days into our visits, already seasoned travellers again, picking up on expertise born of routine travels as missionaries for almost a decade, a decade ago. My heart will be even more overflowing with gratitude for God's faithfulness and graciousness to us and me through all our lives. I look forward to sharing stories of our visits with many old friends, and opportunities to remember special moments of the early days of our children's lives. I have no doubt that they will shine with the luminiscence of God's overshadowing mercy and protection and provision.

There seems no other song more fitting to share with you at this time, one that we have sung recently in our worship times at church, and one that has run through my mind, and out my mouth many many times in these weeks: Graham Kendrick's "Lord, You've Been Good to Me". I have been able to find a section of it on You Tube performed by Graham and his band, but I wouldn't want you to miss out on all the words. Here are both, to bless you as they bless me:


Lord you've been good to me
All my life, all my life
Your loving kindness never fails
I will remember
All you have done
Bring from my heart
Thanksgiving songs

New every morning is your love
Filled with compassion from above
Grace and forgiveness full and free
Lord you've been good to me

So may each breath I take
Be for you Lord, only you
Giving you back the life I owe
Love so amazing
Mercy so free
Lord you've been good
So good to me

Copyright © 2001 Graham Kendrick
Administered by Make Way Music,
www.grahamkendrick.co.uk

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