My Jesus, I Love Thee, v. 4
Devotion
In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
In the house in which I grew up there was a Protestant shrine—not that I knew it at the time. We spent most of our time in the combined family room and kitchen, over which presided a large, modern picture of Jesus, flanked by two crosses. It did not occur to me at the time to notice that no such display graced the walls of the houses of my friends. It was just how things were. The childhood display was consistent with the understanding that our faith was meant for everyday life. It was above the place we ate together. It was where we read daily devotions together. It was where daily bread and the bread of life were mingled together. But it was also consistent with the idea that faith was to be shared. It witnessed, in a way, to all who visited. In that sense, the fourth verse of the hymn (with the first, the only other one my mother ever sang) was not just about a someday in heaven. It was also about right here and now.
Prayer
God of our sustenance, feed me here and now, that my witness may speak to others. Amen.