One of Jeanette Hardage’s daughters recently came across an unpublished poem in Jeanette’s handwriting tucked away inside a piece of old furniture. She had probably not intended it for publication, as it contained none of her usual word choice edits. With candor she shares how pain entered her life one day and would not leave; but she says God taught her how to live with it.
Jeanette referred in other poems to a deep, private source of hurt, most eloquently in the poem “Rain.” This newly discovered poem is more reminiscent of “Pain Options” from her Faith and Other Matters anthology, in which, though she is hurting, she asks God to “teach me how to respond.”
Jeanette doesn’t say directly in any of those three poems exactly how she learned to live with her pain, but her wisdom comes through in other ways. On a trip through her book of poetry, she urges us repeatedly to listen to God’s voice in scripture; to engage in soul-lifting praise of our Creator; and to consider each new day another chance to serve God.
On this darkest night of the year, Jeanette urges us to look for joy in scripture reading, praise, and service. For those who are hurting during this Christmas season, may you too find the courage to persevere, the inspiration to praise, and the strength to serve, secure in the knowledge that “joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
Here for your Christmas enjoyment is Jeanette’s ode to church bells that she heard in Jerusalem.
Bells in the Square at Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Feel it now—the sound
the bells are slinging round,
around, around.They’re carving up the hour,
crying out their power,
pow’r, pow’r.Lift my weary soul, bells.
Point me to the King
and let all heaven ring,
and ring and ring,
and ring and ring.