February 12, 2016

"Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior"

Eagerness is something I see in first grade on a daily basis. Eagerness to learn, eagerness to play, eagerness to have fun, eagerness to do things right.  But probably the type of eagerness I most see is eagerness to please and eagerness to help. It doesn't matter what the task, but when I start a sentence with, "I need someone to...", I can count on 20 little hands to shoot up. 20 little smiles as if to say, "Choose me! Choose me!"  They don't know what the end of that sentence is going to be. It could be something that is not fun like pick up trash around the room or push in chairs or straighten up the computer center.  But I've learned that the end of that sentence doesn't matter...they just want chosen for the job.

I heard the song "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior" the other day and it made me think about that simple eagerness. Part of the chorus says, "while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by".  How many times The Lord calls on me and you to do things and how many times we find excuses not to.  Maybe it's not the right timing for us, or I'm too shy, or I don't have the resources or means.  What would it look like if we were like my little first graders.  Not even waiting to hear the whole request, just opening our hearts and saying "choose me, Lord, I can do it".  I have been taught to have a servant's heart, and I want to be willing and eager to please Him. Eager to be chosen.


"Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.

Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by."

by Fanny Crosby