My Favorite Hymn

We had some confusion at church this morning.  Bishop was gone and so there were no speakers.  Whit called some members from the congregation to share their favorite hymn and then we sang them.  I thought of what hymns I like.   There are several I love, but here is one of them.  It represents a daily testimony and yearning for hope.

Abide With Me!, LDS hymn #166

I often think of the second verse:

2. Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day.

Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away.

Change and decay in all around I see;

O thou who changest not, abide with me!

I am a mechanical engineer and work mostly with mining professionally. It is a rough environment. We spend a lot of time figuring out how to make equipment survive.  Constant wear and chemical attack take their toll and shorten the life of everything.  Even non-moving parts will corrode.

At home I have five boys and they are pretty rough on things.  I've glued plates, patched walls, fixed iPods and just thrown things away that I couldn't fix.  And my knee hurts.

Everything I deal with daily tells me that the world will die and grind itself to dust.  But there is more to life than what I learned at work and college.  There is a renewing power not available to textbook physics.  I know that God lives and has a plan for his children.  He comforts me during hard times of life and we will live with Him again in joy.