Take My Life, That I May Be, ELW 583 & LBW 406
Take my life, that I may be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect, and use every powā€™r
as thou shalt choose.
Devotion
I learn about acceptance and the temporal nature of life from the residents at Walker. Fear of the unknown can bind us to what is safe and familiar, but faith calls us into the possibility of what can be. This is Suzy's story as she moved from the independent senior living at Walker to the health center: Suzy was beloved in the independent living apartments. As Suzy began to suffer from the effects of her debilitating disease even the amazing support and assistance of her neighbors wasn't enough to allow her to stay in her apartment. Suzy required a higher level of care from the health center.
There is a chapel at Walker between the independent senior living and the health center where we all worship on Sunday morning. When Suzy was escorted to the chapel by a volunteer, I was concerned that she had been placed away from her familiar friends on the apartment side. I went over to escort her to her familiar area and she declined my offer of assistance. Suzy looked at me with a confident acceptance and said: "These are my people now."¯
Prayer
Loving Lord Jesus, take my will and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne. Amen.