Robert Robinson introduced himself to the young woman and thanked her for her kindness. He noticed that when he told her his name the woman had a strange look on her face. Then she said, "That’s an interesting coincidence.” She then reached into her purse and took out a small book of inspirational writings that she had been reading on the way to church. She opened the book and handed it to him and said "I was just reading a verse by a poet by the name of Robert Robinson…. Are you him?”
He took the book, nodding. "Yes, I wrote these words years ago." "Oh, how wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Imagine! I’m sharing a carriage with the author of these very lines!" But Robinson barely heard her. He was absorbed in the words he was reading. They were words that would one day be set to music and become a great hymn of faith. These are the words he read…
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace’
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
And at the bottom of the page:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it--
Prone to leave the God I love;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
He could barely read the last few lines through the tears that welled up in his eyes. He looked at the young woman and said, "I wrote these words—and I’ve lived these words. ’Prone to wander…prone to leave the God I love.’" But The young woman responded by saying, "You also wrote, ’Here’s my heart, O take and seal it.’ You can offer your heart again to God, Mr. Robinson. It’s not too late."
And it wasn’t too late for Robert Robinson. In that moment he turned his heart back to God and walked with him the rest of his days. [Ron Lee Davis, Courage to Begin Again,]
Where are you at in your walk with the Lord today? Like the hymn writer have you found yourself drifting away from the Lord? God’s message for you this morning is that new beginnings are possible. Just like in the time of Josiah, God longs to draw drifting children home. Commit your life to the Lord through obedience, a life of discipleship and clinging to the cross for forgiveness ~ a Beautiful Contradiction. This is what communion is about…remembering what Jesus has done for you…