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About mittonmusings

A Canadian, lifestyle blog with an inspirational twist!

This is My Father’s World

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Ahhh… today is the first of October. And in Canada, fall is beginning to show itself in full colour. With it, comes the sigh of satisfaction at a bountiful harvest, and the joys of quieter days. (We are going to ignore the fact that the weather can’t make up its mind and both snow and 30 degree celsius temperatures happen all in the same time frame — just work with me and my idealized vision of autumn, okay?!). I wasn’t sure what to muse about this week, and was going through the things that have been recently on my mind: Greta Thunberg and her fight for global change, aboriginal celebrations of strength, fall fairs, baked warm apples and pumpkin spice lattes, and for some reason, this old hymn popped into my head:

This Is My Father’s World (Lyrics)

This is my Father’s world,

And to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father’s world:

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world,

The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white,

Declare their maker’s praise.

This is my Father’s world,

He shines in all that’s fair;

In the rustling grass I hear him pass;

He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world.

O let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world:

Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!

God reigns; let the earth be glad!

  • Photo KMitton
  • Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
  • Photo KMitton
  • Photo KMitton
Love the diversity of this season!!

“This is My Father’s World”, was originally published, posthumously, by the author’s wife in 1901, in a book of his poems. Maltbie Davenport Babcock, was a New York minister who frequented the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario, simply to marvel at “His Father’s World”. I think he was close enough to Canada to appreciate the true beauty displayed, especially during autumn. The popular hymn was adapted from Babcock’s poem by his friend and musician, Franklin Shepherd, in 1915. (The original poem contained 16 verses of 4 lines each).

I was reminded of the hymn back on my travels to Wolfville, Nova Scotia this summer, (you can read about that adventure here) and discovered it is also themed in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. As the camera pans the rolling hills of the Shire and all the familiar simplicity of a hobbit’s homelife, we are reminded that despite this era of evil, this is My Father’s World.

So, as our sunflowers begin to droop from faces ladened with seeds, as the leaves change colour and eventually die, as fall mums and ripe apples display their ruby redness against a backdrop of golden hues, I hope you relish the thought that this is my Father’s world. Perhaps you’re off to drown your troubles in a quiet coffee shop with a “grande PSL”. I’m here to remind you: That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet. Happy first of October, my beloveds!

Rock On

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They say a diamond is a girl’s best friend. I think that’s true because a diamond is really just a big rock. When I was little, I loved rocks. I still like rocks, actually. Diamonds and otherwise. Have you ever been to one of those touristy-type places that have the gift shops with all the souvenirs? In Canada, it is usually filled with maple syrup and cheesy t-shirts and keychains with red maple leaves plastered all over them. Just beside the “make-a-souvenir-coin” machine (which costs a toonie to produce a copper penny — go figure) is usually a large bin with rocks of various colours and sizes. Sometimes it is filled with highly polished “jewels” and a little velvet pouch, and sometimes it has a more rustic feel, with jagged flint pieces or maybe even fossils. This bin always seemed to be the first place I headed when I was younger.

I’m not sure why, but I was thinking about this, this week, and the whole idea of “rocks”. What was the appeal to me? Why did I love to dig through this bin and search out the most special of samples? (I hardly ever bought any as they were always too expensive for a hunk of earth, but still…) I had a fairly large rock collection when I was younger. Those cool ones from the beach, with stripes of red granite or even man-made chunks of asphalt worn smooth by the lapping waves. Or memories of my kids who searched out the flattest stones to skip across the lake. Nothing like a toddler’s pocket full of pebbles to make a mom giggle. Saggy little butt cheeks. And Heaven forbid, you suggest leaving them on the path! Our minivan probably still has a few pebbles hidden in the drink holders!

The kids may have moved on from sagging pockets, but I still love a good geode and totally embarrassed my kids on a trip awhile back as I donned my safety goggles and hammer to crack open the beauty I had picked out of the bin. I even spent the money on that one. I will openly admit, I am the proud owner of a few rock piles… both inside and outside my house. I’m no geologist, but rocks are pretty cool.

If any of you followed us on our 30 Days of Blessings journey, you will remember the day we targeted Rocks. It was a simple reminder to focus on the strength of God’s character, and yet remember how something so seemingly mundane can be so beautiful. Glittering diamonds from lumps of coal and all that.

Amethyst is one of my favourites!

So, if you are searching for some encouragement today, imagine your younger self crouched over that big bin of colourful rocks. You dig and dig, and examine each one, hoping to find the perfect specimen. That one with just the perfect smoothness, or that hint of colour, or that sparkly spot that may mean gold or some other precious jewel embedded in the rough. When you’ve finally found it, you tuck it away lovingly in your black velvet pouch and pull the drawstrings tight. Your treasure has been found!

Now, imagine the rock is you. A diamond in the rough, waiting to be polished by the Master jewel maker, a treasure to be cherished. Displayed in His vast collection, handpicked from all the others, just because someone saw the potential of gold in your tiniest of cracks. God works like that. Or perhaps you have been worn smooth by the ever constant waves of life and you’ve been chosen, now, to soar across the expanse — simply for the shear joy of seeing you fly! You are a treasure.

Rock on, my fellow boulders, Rock on.

Disappointment at Tobermory

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Have you ever been disappointed? Not the average, my-ice-cream-scoop-just-plopped on-the-ground disappointed, but really deep, dark, down sad? Admittedly, it’s not an emotion I struggle with too badly. Introverts tend to shy away from anything that might grip us with disappointment, so throwing ourselves out there any farther than picking a favourite ice cream at 31 Flavours, doesn’t happen often enough for us to worry about. I hear it’s not the same for people pleasers. My hubby suggested this post, so I have a full disclaimer that it’s his story.

Anyone who knows my beloved, knows he loves a good adventure. Few years back, he wanted to tour a little town on the harbours of Georgian Bay. A boat tour of FlowerPot island near Tobermory, Ontario was the goal. Esteemed hiking trails, breathtaking scenery, the cool waters of Georgian Bay — a road trip adventure for the family. This was the plan for us. Tickets on the tour boat were secured, good food was consumed, and shoppes were browsed like the adept, adventure seeking tourists we were… all was ready for our great adventure to Flowerpot Island. Until the hurricane.

Seriously. We woke up the next morning to crazy high winds, rain, hail and a deluge of weather that was unusual enough to slightly worry about our safety in the hotel, let alone out on the water. Needless to say, our boat tour was cancelled and refunded. The hubby was disappointed. We made the best of it, but I knew he was slightly crushed.

  • The allusive FlowerPot Island

Fast forward to this summer, where yet again, my adventurer and his nobel followers embarked on another trip to Tobermory in search of the allusive FlowerPot Island. Tickets for the tour boat were secured, good food was consumed, and shoppes were browsed — and weather was monitored. We looked good to go! No sign of rain. We sat in a quaint, greasy spoon diner, munching on toast and eggs, when the cell phone went off… “I am sorry, Mr. Mitton, the winds are predicted to be too strong to dock at Flowerpot Island this afternoon as scheduled. We would be happy to have your family on our tour of Georgian Bay, but for your own safety, we will not be docking.”

My poor, forlorn, Beloved sat dumbfounded, half eaten toast halfway to his open jawed gaze as he peered out the window to the absolutely clear blue sky. His slightly less adventurous wife just laughed. I did. I giggled at the upset and pure absurdity of it all. We simply could not understand how this was happening again! It was laughable.

In the end, we did enjoy our “non-stop” tour of Georgian Bay. And yes, the winds were quite high, and the boat company was completely within their rights to ensure the safety of their passengers by not docking in the narrow, rock encrusted alcove, so we could simply have an adventure. Were we disappointed? Sure. But: we did meet a lovely couple from the States who were also sidetracked by the bump in plans. And we did learn some fun facts about the Niagara Escarpment, and we did ride the waves and dream of bigger things.

Perhaps boat tours are only a step up from fallen ice cream cones on the scale of disappointments in life. Maybe your journey includes lost loved ones, betrayal, heartache and deep disappointments, that in no way compare to this little story. Perhaps you have rode the waves of cancer, job loss or other pain. 1 Corinthians 15 reminds us that God knows our disappointments, and He gives us hope to overcome them all! So, be encouraged that even when our plans are thwarted in what seems to be clear, blue skies, sometimes the Captain of the ship is simply protecting you from the rocky shores, and wants to just give you the tour ‘around’ instead.