The Secret

My great-grandfather Alex was a student of the scriptures. I'm fortunate to have inherited his Bible.

I decided to do something I've never done before. I posted on a geneology forum. I typed my great-grandfather's name, and birth date into a forum in Scotland and asked how to go about researching my Scottish roots. Great-grandfather brought his wife and four daughters to America from Scotland when my grandmother was 12.


Left to right...Gertrude, Jean, Lilias, Rene
(My grandmother, Lilias, is in the back on the right.)

The next day I had 2 emails in my box. One person had sent me a document from the Ellis Island archives which listed my g-grandfather, g-grandmother arriving in 1910 along with their daughters. The document included the names and ages of the daughters. I also had an email that said, "The research has already been done." Included was a link to his family tree. I found out that my g-grandfather was a twin. (which is true...but I had forgotten.) I still need to correspond with the person behind "The research has already been done." This story is still unfolding.

But as intriguing as it is to stumble upon some family history, the most important information about g-grandfather is already in my possession. His Bible. And in it, I found a little brochure called "The Morning Watch" which displayed this poem.

The Secret

I met God in the morning,
When my day was at its best
And His presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long The Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we stayed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to us a perfect rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I, too, had loosed the moorings,
With The Presence left behind.

So I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way;
You should seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!

--H.S.C.


G-Grandfather Alex and his four daughters. (My grandmother is standing.)

P.S. Happy Memorial Day...and pray for our country and our troops!