Tag Archives: faith

My Song to Sing

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Bird Song

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!    Psalm 96:1

I have a song to sing!  It’s my song, and one that will never be heard by anyone else, save my granddaughter…and God.

I sing often. Even if I don’t remember the words to a favorite melody, I create new words that nicely match a familiar tune. Recently, I’ve been creating new songs, such as singing prayers to God. Occasionally while reading through the Psalms, I will recognize a Psalm with a melody already recorded and will sing God’s words back to Him. Psalm 100 is a good example of this. I remember this Psalm and the melody from high school youth group.

I recently returned from an extended visit with my granddaughter. She loves to sing songs and I love listening to her voice sounding so sweet–even while singing along with a CD playing as we drive to the park. And wouldn’t you know, the song “Old King Cole” is truly delightful with a three-year old belting the lyrics in perfect harmony!

I imagine God having great joy from little ones singing. It was the voices of children shouting and singing, “Hosanna!” as Jesus entered Jerusalem while riding on a donkey and the voices of infants and children quieting the murmurings and harsh words from grumpy people. (My interpretation of Psalm 8:2, From the mouths of children and babies come songs of praise to you. They sing of your power to silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.) So yes, the voices of children singing is quite powerful. Song will sooth a soul and spark it with smiles shining bright.

Not all of my songs are joyful ones, however. I have belted out a chorus of complaints, worry and bewilderment in a minor key. A real sour note. I take great comfort in the fact that many of the Psalms focus on lamenting over a worrisome predicament. I would argue that even those songs are indeed, “A new song to the Lord.” Singing to God our woes and anxiety is a humbling feat that will result in great peace. I love knowing that God cares…”Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7, ESV)

Sometimes, we need to sing songs in the night. It can be difficult, especially when the birds stop chirping and the stars are hidden behind clouds and seem not to twinkle in the black sky. The dark night has a way of bringing all of the anxieties and woes to surface in our thoughts and dreams.

But God is the light in the darkness and He has created the night-time for our good. To rest in peace and sleep.  He is not a God that brings on worry and distress in the dark hours (or day hours), but to take the worry and distress away. Darkness is good for rest. God created us to sleep when the sun dims to welcome the light of the moon–however, when a little one is ill, the darkness stirs a different kind of song. A song to sing to a little one, sick with tummy rumblings.  In the midst of the wee morning hours of darkness, God gave me a song to comfort her, my granddaughter. She hears my song to sing. And she sleeps.  (“But none says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night.”  Job 35:10)

We can sing high praises to ourselves when all is joyful, but we cannot sing praise to any but our God when circumstances are untoward and Providences appear adverse. God alone can furnish us with songs in the night. And yet again, not only does God give the song in the night because He is the only subject upon which we can sing, then, but because He is the only One who inspires songs in the night. ~Charles Spurgeon

How good is our God to give us voices to sing a new song! To the Glory of God, we sing! Day or night, this is my song to sing.

This is long over due and I am extremely late to link up with “Five Minute Friday” …the topic is: SONG. 

A Walk With My Sister

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Charlotte Walk with Sister

Upon the end of my spring break away from spring in the Midwest , I had a few precious hours with one of my younger sisters. These hours are few and I treasure the time we have together. I wish to have the same amount of time, no matter how short and brief time allows, with my other siblings. Space in distance and expense upon travel does not help to make our visits frequent and planning ahead will be imperative.

This particular walk with this younger sibling was refreshing. Our conversation revolved around becoming more like Jesus and less about ourselves. I heard her voice and she heard mine. We both want more of Jesus.

We walked through her neighborhood while conversing about life. I told her about my angst in starting over in our new home and she told me how God is filling her life with more of Him. This was so encouraging for me! I thrill to hear my sister tell me how she is loving Jesus more; how God has transformed her heart. This sharpens me. Her steady and consistent relationship with Jesus motivates me to have the same.

A walk with my sister

We walked and  talked about all sorts of things that may bring angst and uncertainty to both of us. We stopped along our walk to soak in the beauty of God’s creation. I am in awe of God’s grace. So very thankful for a walk with my sister to help me focus on an omniscient God.

Our ups and downs have no comparison to those who struggle with much more. I feel less in character when I compare our [my] struggles with someone else facing far more than me.

This walk with my sister has caused me to think beyond my sweet home front.

Beyond…

Thoughts About Easter

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Easter Thoughts

The day had been planned. She wakes up early before the sun has brightened the sky. Her heart is broken. She is weary from grief and each time she closes her eyes, she has the mental images of Jesus being tortured and brutally crucified. There is no rest from her sorrow. Mary is approaching the tomb in the dark hours of the early morning. She sees that the large rock, sealing the tomb where Jesus is buried has been moved! The tomb is opened!

I think she reacted like I would have…with panic! Confusion! Doubt! Unbelief!

Based on what she saw, she quickly surmised that, “They have taken his body away!” Mary completely forgot what Jesus promised he would do on the third day. She turns and quickly runs to find her friends. I imagine her running on a dirt path as fast as she possibly could, stumbling over rocks, tired, sweaty and breathless. Her friends, Peter and John listened as she told them, “They have taken his body away!” and they too ran quickly to see for themselves.

Peter and John looked inside the tomb…they  went inside the tomb and they believed. They saw with their eyes and they believed that Jesus rose from the dead. Even though they did not fully understand the things Jesus had told them before, they truly believed. They didn’t let doubt or unbelief cloud their vision. They believed that Jesus rose again from the dead, even if they could not totally grasp or understand all of it.

This is what I think… the stone that sealed the tomb was rolled away not for Jesus to get out but for us to look in! 

I imagine them walking away from the tomb quite dumb founded but with a heightened adrenaline surge to do something! What ever that something was, is most likely what they were talking about as they walked away and left Mary alone at the tomb.

Alone, so she thought. Crying and somewhat timid, she walked over to the tomb. I don’t think I would have been brave enough to go inside a burial chamber either and would have done the same thing as Mary. Bend over, poke my head inside for a quick look-see! I’m sure her heart was beating fast. I wonder if she bumped her head at the opening of the tomb upon seeing two angels!  They proceeded to ask her why she was crying. “They have taken his body away!”

Mary saw the same thing as Peter and John. No, actually she saw more than they did. Mary had a conversation with two angels! Yet, Mary continued to make the wrong assumption and incorrect accusations. Mary doubted. She doubted and did not believe because she didn’t stop to think about the words Jesus had said to her before. Mary believed Jesus then, but she was not believing now.

And then she turns around and sees…a gardener?  No, it is Jesus but because her mind is clouded with doubt and unbelief, she does not recognize her beloved. He asks her the same question and she proceeds to plead with “the gardener” to tell her where Jesus’ body has been taken. She still doesn’t see.

Instead of answering her question, Jesus said her name, “Mary.”

I love this! Jesus called Mary by her name!  She immediately recognizes Jesus. She knows his voice. She hears him. She sees him. Mary believes! Jesus tells her to go…and she runs (much faster now, I imagine) to tell the others, “I have seen the Lord!”

This is what I think… Jesus speaks in to her unbelief. Jesus paid the ultimate price for her unbelief. 

I think it’s okay and good to look inside the empty tomb over and over again. Whenever I doubt that God loves me, I look inside that empty tomb. Whenever I doubt that I can trust God no matter what, I look inside that empty tomb. And when I don’t believe, I cry for Him to help my unbelief  while asking Him to forgive me for that unbelief. Jesus paid the ultimate price for that!

It is Easter morning, already! Let’s celebrate again and again! Let’s run and tell others, “I have seen the Lord!”

John 20:1-18 (ESV)

The Resurrection

20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her,“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.