The Girl Scout Promise – On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.
The Girl Scout Law – I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Each evening as the suns begins to set, I step out onto the front porch, take down the American Flag and sing Taps. “Day is done. Gone the sun, from the hills, from the lake, from the skies. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.” By the time I’m done with my song, the flag is removed from its post, neatly prepared, and ready to be put to bed for the night.
Last night my little ritual changed. Bill said there was no rain in the foreseeable future and that with adequate lighting, the flag could remain outside. Hmmm. Since he climbed up on top of the one-inch-wide railing, risked life and limb teetering above the bricks, and installed new bulbs just to be sure of the light, I didn’t have the heart to take down the flag. I also didn’t have the heart to leave out the song so I stood in the dark, with the porch lights cheerfully illuminating the Stars and Stripes, and I sang it anyway. “Day is done… God is nigh.”
I learned a lot of good things as a Girl Scout. I was once pretty good at whittling although I haven’t carved on a piece of wood in years. I can still build a fairly good fire, but I have few opportunities to practice these days. I know how to pitch a tent, dig a latrine, and sanitize dishes without soap. I can splint a broken arm, fix a flat tire, and sell cookies with the best. While every single one of these lessons provided me with important life skills and problem-solving techniques, not one is a daily practice for me as an adult.
Taps, however, is a custom that I continue to observe. Not only is the tune hauntingly beautiful, the lyrics serve as a final reminder at the end of the day that God is always near. I may only know one of the five verses, but the folks on my street are probably ok with that. The day may be over, the sun may have moved beyond the horizon, my listening neighbors may think I’ve lost my mind, but God is near. And with that knowledge firmly in place, I can rest safely for all is well.
In John’s revelation, he is given the assurance of eternity. "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10, NRSV) I think John is facing a moment much like the faithful singing of Taps. When day is done and life is finally over, God is near and eternal rest is secure for believers. "Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches." (verse 11) John is sharing a much bigger message my neighbors need to hear.
I did learn a lot from being a Girl Scout, and I carry those lessons with me to this day. The Girl Scout Law continues to inform who I am, and those principles feed directly into my Christian walk. I only hope I can be as vocal in telling the Bible stories and truths as I am in singing good-night to the day.
Serving, helping, living,
Pastor Beth
(For an interesting historical account of the origin of Taps, visit
https://www.history.com/news/how-did-taps-originate.)
The Girl Scout Law – I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Each evening as the suns begins to set, I step out onto the front porch, take down the American Flag and sing Taps. “Day is done. Gone the sun, from the hills, from the lake, from the skies. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.” By the time I’m done with my song, the flag is removed from its post, neatly prepared, and ready to be put to bed for the night.
Last night my little ritual changed. Bill said there was no rain in the foreseeable future and that with adequate lighting, the flag could remain outside. Hmmm. Since he climbed up on top of the one-inch-wide railing, risked life and limb teetering above the bricks, and installed new bulbs just to be sure of the light, I didn’t have the heart to take down the flag. I also didn’t have the heart to leave out the song so I stood in the dark, with the porch lights cheerfully illuminating the Stars and Stripes, and I sang it anyway. “Day is done… God is nigh.”
I learned a lot of good things as a Girl Scout. I was once pretty good at whittling although I haven’t carved on a piece of wood in years. I can still build a fairly good fire, but I have few opportunities to practice these days. I know how to pitch a tent, dig a latrine, and sanitize dishes without soap. I can splint a broken arm, fix a flat tire, and sell cookies with the best. While every single one of these lessons provided me with important life skills and problem-solving techniques, not one is a daily practice for me as an adult.
Taps, however, is a custom that I continue to observe. Not only is the tune hauntingly beautiful, the lyrics serve as a final reminder at the end of the day that God is always near. I may only know one of the five verses, but the folks on my street are probably ok with that. The day may be over, the sun may have moved beyond the horizon, my listening neighbors may think I’ve lost my mind, but God is near. And with that knowledge firmly in place, I can rest safely for all is well.
In John’s revelation, he is given the assurance of eternity. "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10, NRSV) I think John is facing a moment much like the faithful singing of Taps. When day is done and life is finally over, God is near and eternal rest is secure for believers. "Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches." (verse 11) John is sharing a much bigger message my neighbors need to hear.
I did learn a lot from being a Girl Scout, and I carry those lessons with me to this day. The Girl Scout Law continues to inform who I am, and those principles feed directly into my Christian walk. I only hope I can be as vocal in telling the Bible stories and truths as I am in singing good-night to the day.
Serving, helping, living,
Pastor Beth
(For an interesting historical account of the origin of Taps, visit
https://www.history.com/news/how-did-taps-originate.)
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