An Old Poem

I came across this poem in an old, old book I have. The book contains daily thoughts and devotions, and I was hoping it would give me some inspiration for this week’s muse. Interestingly, I could find very very little about the poem’s author, a Ms. Patricia McGavock. I understand that the poet is blind, yet obviously a woman of great faith. In this day and age of fast paced film and Instagram photos, I trust this simple story encourages you this week. We are so quick to flit in and out of our daily tasks, and the flashes of photos across our screens do little to satisfy us. We’ve become “blinded” by it all.

I’ve seen a lot of recent posts about gardens, vacation spots and pretty flowers in my feeds, and the poem seemed to strike a chord… what would my senses tell me if I could no longer see the images? Would I still trust the One who leads me? Hopefully this week’s (albeit short) muse will speak to you in a way that my words would not. Enjoy. Be blessed. See you next week!

"Would I could see the beauty of the flowers
whose sweet perfume pervades the Summer air,
The grass so soft beneath my faltering footsteps,
That thing called light I'm told is everywhere.

Then I could see the trees in Autumn glory,
The little birds that flutter to and fro;
The colours of the rainbow, sunset glowing;
The changing seasons as they come and go.

But I am blind and cannot see such beauty,
No moon or stars illumine my long night,
No dawn of day or sunrise in the morning
can share with me the wonder of their light.

Yet I am glad, when each new dawn comes breaking,
To feel the morning air, the sun's caress,
To touch the gentle softness of a rosebud,
and breathe the fragrance of its loveliness.

The scent of rain upon a country footpath,
Soft music and a voice that sweetly sings,
God's hand in mine as He so gently leads me --
I need not eyes for all these wondrous things."
Photo by Ella de Kross on Unsplash

Mother’s Day Muse

Somehow I feel I should be writing about Mother’s Day this week… and yet, I am feeling drastically underqualified to comment about such things. Raised 4 kids. Grieved the loss of a child. Learned from some of the best moms going. Boys. Girls. Fur babies. The check list is filled with seemingly adequate accomplishments on the Mother-of-all-time list. But that is one of the funny things about motherhood isn’t it? There are no instructions lists. No colour-coded guide book on how to raise children. God gives us some help in His Word, but a lot of it is trial and error isn’t it? Not to mention the fact that each kid is different from the next. In some respects, that’s what makes the challenge of parenting worth the effort! You never know what your gonna get!

Therefore, instead of writing a long post about my adventures in motherhood, I simply want to encourage you: do the best you can. Pray a lot. Trust others and ask for help when you need it. Be blessed and appreciate the little things. One of my favourite verses is Luke 2:19, where the narrator of the Christmas story reminds us that even when all the chaos of shepherds, angels and barn animals were encroaching on Mary’s person, she simply “treasured up these things and pondered them in her heart”.

If you’ve been reading mittonmusings for some time, you’ve heard me mention this before. You’ve seen the glimpses of my “ponderings” and “mused” along with me about the treasures I find each week. Even this year, as I reflect on the most recent Mother’s Day, I am reminded of the strong women who have influenced me in my parenting journey. And I see the next generation reflecting the efforts of the “village” that helped raise them. Reflections I treasure. Methods I sometimes ponder deeply.

Thank you for following along with me each week, here in this little corner of the internet that we call “home”. Your comments, likes and follows affirm that somehow my words are valid. That somehow someone “out there” is interested in the quirkiness of our crew and the adventures we share. Keep them coming, my beloveds!


Here are some links to previous “muses” you might be interested in: