"My Hope and Treasure Lies Above"

This summer, I am finishing up the 1st grade portion of the Veritas Press Phonics Museum with Ladan. I have learned and been challenged a good deal as he reads the included books aloud to me. Many of the stories are brief accounts of true historical events. The most recent book he read was a biography of Anne Bradstreet, a Puritan poet.

Anne was well-educated. She married in England at the age of 16 and moved to New England with her husband, Simon Bradstreet. They had eight children. Her husband was a governor and traveled a lot as a result. Anne's life was challenging. She worked hard. She encountered many trials. Through it all, she maintained a strong faith in an unchanging, faithful, just, and GOOD God. Her poems reveal her heart as she experienced life and a very real relationship with God. I've been captivated by her writing the last several days. One poem was written in the wake of the complete burning of their house. Keep in mind as you read it that they did not have insurance as we do today. They had to start completely over.

Verses upon the Burning of our House
by Anne Bradstreet

In silent night when rest I took,
For sorrow near I did not look,
I waken'd was with thund'ring noise
And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.
That fearful sound of "fire" and "fire,"
Let no man know is my Desire.
I starting up, the light did spy,
And to my God my heart did cry
To straighten me in my Distress
And not to leave me succourless.
Then coming out, behold a space
The flame consume my dwelling place.
And when I could no longer look,
I blest his grace that gave and took,
That laid my goods now in the dust.
Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was his own; it was not mine.
Far be it that I should repine,
He might of all justly bereft
But yet sufficient for us left.
When by the Ruins oft I past
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast
And here and there the places spy
Where oft I sate and long did lie.
Here stood that Trunk, and there that chest,
There lay that store I counted best,
My pleasant things in ashes lie
And them behold no more shall I.
Under the roof no guest shall sit,
Nor at thy Table eat a bit.
No pleasant talk shall 'ere be told
Nor things recounted done of old.
No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee,
Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee.
In silence ever shalt thou lie.
Adieu, Adieu, All's Vanity.
Then straight I 'gin my heart to chide:
And did thy wealth on earth abide,
Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the sky
That dunghill mists away may fly.
Thou hast a house on high erect
Fram'd by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished
Stands permanent, though this be fled.
It's purchased and paid for too
By him who hath enough to do.
A price so vast as is unknown,
Yet by his gift is made thine own.
There's wealth enough; I need no more.
Farewell, my pelf; farewell, my store.
The world no longer let me love;
My hope and Treasure lies above.

This stuff is RICH! I'm reading this on the heels of several weeks of meditating on the truth that my home is not here on earth. It's good to work toward the goal of being a good and godly homemaker, and it's good to hope that we and others will consider our home to feel like "home". But it's all too easy to begin to count on the treasures of this world and to desire comfort here on earth to the point where disappointment comes up when those things fall short, when things are uncomfortable, when things are in process, or when things change. Scripture is an excellent reminder of where I need to place my hope, but sometimes there is something very real and very helpful about "experiencing" these truths with another person who is learning them as well... even if that person lived 400 years ago. So, for what it's worth, may these words serve as encouragement to you as well.

The truths that encouraged Anne have not changed. She served the same God that I serve today. It matters that we know who God is. It matters that we believe Him. It changes our lives, our responses, the way we think, who we are. And hopefully, by His grace, His work in our lives will impact the lives of others.

Additionally, things like this paint just a small picture of what it is like to worship the ONE TRUE GOD with the church universal. I cannot fathom what it will be like to join in praise with all believers in Christ when we are raised up together in heaven. This is definitely a foreshadowing of things to come... and I can tell it's going to be FANTASTIC! Beyond expression.

For more info on Anne Bradstreet, including more of her poetry, please see http://www.annebradstreet.com/. "The Flesh and the Spirit" is definitely worth reading and contemplating if you only have time for one.