by the feet
by Elouise
George and Louisa MacDonald with their 11 children
plus eldest daughter Mary’s fiancé
Maybe it’s my age. Or the ever-present reality of death in our media-saturated world. I’m grateful for these words from George MacDonald. Good Friday invites me to consider death with my eyes wide open.
March 21 and 22
O Lord, when I do think of my departed,
I think of thee who art the death of parting;
Of him who crying Father breathed his last,
Then radiant from the sepulchre upstarted.—
Even then, I think, thy hands and feet kept smarting:
With us the bitterness of death is past,
But by the feet he still doth hold us fast.Therefore our hands thy feet do hold as fast.
We pray not to be spared the sorest pang,
But only—be thou with us to the last.
Let not our heart be troubled at the clang
Of hammer and nails, nor dread the spear’s keen fang,
Nor the ghast sickening that comes of pain,
Nor yet the last clutch of the banished brain.George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul,
© 1994 Augsburg Fortress Press
Here, as in an earlier entry, MacDonald thinks about the four children he has lost to death. He longs to be with them. No one where they are now can possibly love them as he does.
Yet as great as his fatherly love is, he would “die of grief to love you only so.” That is, from afar. From this side of death.
He notes that his Lord is “the death of parting.” This gives him hope; the distance between him and his children will end someday.
He imagines that the resurrection, as wonderful as it was, still left Jesus with pain in his hands and feet. The bitterness of death was removed, yet “by the feet he still doth hold us fast”—with his “smarting” hands. Death isn’t the last word; nonetheless, it’s painful. It leaves scars, and empty seats around the table. The deathly silence of missing voices.
Because of this, MacDonald vows to hold Jesus’ “smarting” feet just as tightly as Jesus holds him. As though glued to each other. Inseparable. It’s the only way he can imagine making the journey from this world to the place where his children have gone.
And there’s one more challenge. No matter how much he tries, he can’t hold fast to Jesus’ scarred feet all by himself. His holding on depends on the strong, scarred hands of Jesus holding him. Lest he stray from the path.
Jesus has been through his death. Four of MacDonald’s eleven children have been through theirs. Now it’s MacDonald’s turn, and he knows he won’t make it unless Jesus holds his feet “to the last.”
“But by the feet he still doth hold us fast.”
© Elouise Renich Fraser, 3 April 2015, Good Friday
Edited on Good Friday, 30 March 2018
Photo found at georgemacdonald.info
This really made me think about my own mortality. Sometimes we forget that we are living only but for a moment…here one day and the next we could be breathing our very last breath…we have to make the most of everyday that we have while we are here…and love on those who are in our sphere of influence to no end…thanks for sharing as it helps to put life into perspective 🙂
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Thanks, Sean. Yes. We never know. The news these days seems to want me to keep remembering that. Not a pleasant thing to dwell on–unless I have the larger picture in mind. And live, as you say, in the present. Making every precious second count.
Hoping you have a wondrous Easter!
Elouise
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You’re welcome, Elouise! Have a wonderful Easter too!
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The King is risen Elouise! Thank God,Thank God. This post had so many emotions in it for me. I just lost my only daughter Kelly who was 27 years young in July last year. It also gave me hope as well. It brought many thoughts to my heart and mind. It is amazing what a simple yet profound poem or story can reveal. It was very helpful though for me to be abel to read the explanation of the poem. Thank you for sharing with us Elouise. May God make his face to shine upon you today and always.
Much love Tom
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Dear Tom, What a heart-wrenching loss. Your only daughter Kelly. 27 years young last July. I can’t even imagine your pain. I’m just back from Easter Sunday service. This poem was going through my mind and heart the whole time. I’m so grateful Jesus holds us by the feet and will help us get to the place we long to be. Where every tear is dried, and we are reunited with those we love deeply who have gone before us. I’m so grateful this poem touched your heart and your emotions. I pray this resurrection day will be sweet for you and your family, even if also bitter.
God bless you, Brother.
Elouise
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Thank you Elouise. Bless you sister.
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Reblogged this on Telling the Truth and commented:
Dear Friends,
I’ve revised this old post, added the photo, and am sending it out as my Good Friday offering. It still speaks to me–given the number of family members missing from my old photos. As they say, life isn’t for sissies. Neither is death. And we have a faithful Shepherd who won’t abandon us.
Elouise
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A rich thing to read this morning before work.
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Thank you kindly, Beth. I hope your day went well.
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