Stir Me

So I've been reading a lot lately. And one book that has been incredibly inspiring is "Living Faith" by Helen Roseveare (listed on the right-->). Throughout the book her theme is based on an old hymn which uses the phrase 'Stir me, Lord!'. To illustrate her point she tells a story from the mission base in Africa where she worked for many years.

Several boys were helping her paint the church building. She gave them the paint cans and brushes and asked them if they knew what they were doing. The said yes and she left them for the morning. Going back in the afternoon, she noticed that, although they seemed to be working hard, there was just a clear finish over everything - not the white coat of paint she expected to see. Confused, she went over to where they were working to investigate. It turns out that they were doing everything right - except they had forgotton to stir the cans of paint! Unmixed cans of paint are useless. Her point here is that we must be stirred by God - passsion stirred up from the very bottom of our hearts and mixed throughout our entire being. She talks about how the stirring is not fun and that it can be painful and tedious and hard - but that it is necessary.

Stir me, oh stir me Lord, I care not how,
But stir my heart in passion for the world.
Stir me to give, to go, but most to pray.
Stir until the blood-red banner be unfurled
O'er lands that still in darkness lie
O'er lands where no cross is lifted high.

Stir me, oh, stir me, Lord, till all my heart
Is filled with strong compassion for lost souls,
Till Thy compelling “must” drives me to pray,
Till Thy constraining love reach to the poles.
Far north and south, in burning deep desire.
Till east and west are caught in love's great fire!

Stir me, oh stir me Lord, till prayer is pain,
Till prayer is joy, till prayer turns into praise.
Stir me till heart and mind and will - yea, all
Is wholly Thine to use through all the days.
Stir till I learn to pray exceedingly
Stir till I learn to wait expectantly.

Stir me, oh, stir me, Lord! Thy heart was stirred
By love's intensest fire, till Thou didst give
Thine only Son, Thy best-beloved One,
E'en to the dreadful cross, that I might live:
Stir me to give myself so back to thee
That Thou canst give Thyself again, -- through me.

Stir me, oh, stir me, Lord! For I can see
Thy glorious triumph day begin to break.
The dawn already gilds the eastern sky.
Oh church of Christ, arise! Awake! Awake!
Oh, stir us, Lord, as heralds of that day!
The night is past - our King is on His Way!

~Hymn by Bessie Porter Head