Severe Love

We pray for strength...then we go through trials;
We pray for patience...and sometimes go through harder trials.
We tell God how much we love something or someone...and then they are gone!
Should we stop praying?

I thank You for the beauty of the valley,
even as I'm travelling the same!
Though I can't see the end or the beginning,
I will exalt and magnify Your Name!

I thank You for the grandeur of the mountains-
then realize it's something I must climb.
You're right beside through each elevation,
and I know that You are immune from time!

I thank You for the spectacle of the ocean-
then You ask me to step out of the boat!
I know that You're a good and loving Father,
thus, I will do it--no matter how remote.

The awe and splendor of Your grand creation-
You use it everyday for our own good.
We are so fortunate to call You "Father!"
For wherever we are, You have already stood.

Sometimes, we pray and it seems that God responds with exactly the opposite.  Do we stop praying?  No!  He does this to hone our hearts and make us to desire what He desires. 
Can you handle that kind of love?  It is often that "severe."
8363