A Gift of Song

My daughter gave me a beautiful gift yesterday. It was not a material gift. No jewelry. No perfume. No clothing or books. This gift is more precious to me than any of those.

It was the gift of a song.

Not just any song.

I'll explain.

My daughter has been blessed with a lovely voice. To develop this gift, she has been taking voice lessons for almost a year. I am NEVER invited in to listen to her sing. Until yesterday. After her lesson she came running to the car and told me I just had to come in. I followed her into the voice studio and was informed by her teacher that I was to hear a private concert. Such a joy! I was thrilled to finally be invited into this special, almost sacred, place where my daughter spends so many happy moments doing something she loves: singing. I waited with anticipation to hear the song she has been perfecting. Her teacher played the introduction, and Jennifer began to sing.

And I began to cry. My sweet daughter did not know that I last heard this song at my father's memorial service. She did not know that it was one of his favorites. She only hoped that it might bring me joy! And it did. It's a beautiful song, and she did it beautifully in her young soprano voice. God blessed me with this song and her decision to sing it for me. It's a moment to remember when things are not going so well between this mother and her teenage daughter. And somewhere in heaven my father is smiling down on his granddaughter who gave her mother this gift of song and helped to ease her grief.

PRAYER PERFECT

Dear Lord, kind Lord! Gracious Lord!
I pray Thou wilt look on all I love tenderly today!
Weed their hearts of weariness;
Scatter ev'ry care down a wake of angel wings winnowing the air.
Dear Lord, kind Lord! Gracious Lord!
I pray Thou wilt look on all I love tenderly today.
Bring unto the sorrowing all release from pain,
let the lips of laughter overflow again,
And with all the needy o divide, I pray
This vast treasure of content that is mine today!
Dear Lord, kind Lord! Gracious Lord!
I pray Thou wilt look on all I love tenderly today!

Lyrics: James Whitcomb Riley Music: Oley Speaks

Music Speaks to Me

I love old hymns. I like comtemporary praise songs, too, but hymns speak to me in a different way. Perhaps this is a reflection of my upbringing. I grew up singing hymns in church; I enjoyed singing hymns with my father as he played the piano; and, many of the records played on the stereo were collections of hymns. I especially like hymns (and praise songs, too) based on scripture. One of my favorites (and there are many!) is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father.
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not:
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be!

Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning, new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided;
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow;
Blessings all mine with ten-thousand beside!
(Words and music by Thomas O. Chisholm and William M. Runyan, 1923)

I am especially fond of that last verse. The words bring me comfort and encouragement, and they remind me that I am blessed to be forgiven and that I live in His presence! Praise Him! My life is a testimony of God's faithfulness to me, and this hymn says it so much better than I!