“AT EVEN, OR AT THE COCK-CROWING, OR IN THE MORNING”
If the Lord should come in the morning
As I went about my work,
The little things and the quiet things
That a servant can not shirk,
Though nobody ever sees them,
And only the dear Lord cares
That they always are done in the light of the sun,
Would He take me unawares? If my Lord should come at noonday,
The time of the dust and heat,
When the glare is white, and the air is still,
And the hoof-beats sound in the street;
If my dear Lord came at noonday,
And smiled in my tired eyes,
Would it not be sweet His look to meet?
Would He take me by surprise? If the Lord came hither at evening,
In the fragrant dew and dusk,
When the world drops off its mantle
Of daylight, like a husk,
And flowers in wonderful beauty,
And we fold our hands and rest,
Would His touch of my hand, His low command,
Bring me unhoped-for zest? Why do I ask and question?
He is ever coming to me,
Morning and noon and evening,
If I have but eyes to see,
And the daily load grows lighter,
The daily cares grow sweet,
The Master is near, the Master is here,
I have only to sit at His feet.