Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Stuck In My Head


In about fourth grade, our oldest daughter and a friend used to sing a tune called, "The Song That Never Ends."  And indeed, it did not.  Because with the least prompting, that annoying tune would travel a weary path through my thoughts throughout my day.

God created music, because He knew we needed the means of expressing the depths of our being in ways that mere words fall short.  It is a language in itself, powerfully moving hearts by its melodies.  And like snowflakes, new patterns of notes continually emerge.

Music is also a means of pouring out our hearts before God.   It pleases God to hear our praises,  but in singing out loud, praise also works a groove into our minds, reminding us of who God is.

When I used to rock our oldest grand daughter as a tiny baby, I sang to her the hymn "Before the Throne of God Above."  She was just an infant, but I thought, "Someday when she hears this song, she will wonder how she knows it."  Even as a little baby, singing was engraving the truth of God into her little heart.

One night when she was not even two years old, I began singing to her as I put her to bed.  She kept stopping me, indicating she wanted another song.  "What is it, baby? What song do you want?"

"Phone!" she said.

"Phone?"  I was at a total loss.

"Phone of God," she stated emphatically.

She wanted "Before the Throne of God Above."  And at age four, it is still her favorite for me to sing to her.

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to Your name,
                    O Most High,
to declare Your steadfast love
          in the morning,
and Your faithfulness by night...
                       Psalm 92. 1-2

Singing engraves His Presence 
          in our hearts and minds,
deeper than we can know,
      melodies of His love
          reminders of His faithfulness
 never forgotten.
    . 
It impacts all we do.
And in your comings and goings today,
            let praises to Him
                         get stuck in your head.
For indeed,
His goodness is
       the song that never ends.

And a tune you live out loud.

1 comment:

Claudia Gerwin said...

When our daughter was a toddler, my husband would bring her from the CCIW childcare over to Edman Chapel for the Easter Service - the church sanctuary was too small, and we'd have so much music and joy we wanted to do it in one service. At any rate, for many years afterward, she'd ask me to sing the "Stone" song. Took a while for me to figure that out - "Hear the bells ringing, they're singing that we can be born again ... the angel up on the tombstone said "He is risen, just as He said." She got the image right! Thanks for your beautiful, thoughtful writing.