The Words Of My Song

I was invited to share at a Mother Daughter Tea last Friday night.

 

 It was a most lovely evening!

 

Beautiful and delicious appetizer centerpiece.

 

 And such fun family guests!

 

Janae and Karise were so excited to have tea with sugar!

 

 

I did a "copy and paste" to share my notes here, but for some reason, the font size Will.Not.Change!!!My apologies, hopefully at some point it will get fixed!.

Good evening to all of you beautiful ladies!

It was after the choir program a couple weeks ago that I was asked to come share with you.
My heart was full of song that night, and over the next day or two, as I thought about what to talk about, I thought about the words of MY song .... and the words of Your song. 

 

We all know that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.

So doesn't it make sense that the words of our songs also become our heart focus?

 

So, don't worry, I'm not going to start singing up here...

But for a few minutes I'd like to share with you some of the songs that have been especially meaningful to me in the last six years.

As many of you know, I fell about 18 feet and broke my neck. I had been spending lots of time in the Psalms, and had been trying to cultivate a heart of praise and thanksgiving. 

So on January 12, 2013, as I lay on that stretcher in the emergency room at River Bend Hospital and got the news of a "very broken neck", I said, 
"Whatever happens, may God get all glory."

The next day, after surgery, the staff allowed my forty plus visitors to come into ICU and sing a couple songs. 

They sang, 

"All the way my Savior leads me,
What have I to ask beside,
Can I doubt His tender mercies
Who thru life has been my guide....

For I know what e're be fall me,
Jesus doeth all things well..."

And,

"This my song thru endless ages,
Jesus led me all the way."

They also sang,

"When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

It is well, With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul"

The words ministered to me, and surely to the hospital staff and the other patients in ICU!  
Already, God was receiving glory! 

I'm not going to go into detail about the excruciating pain or great loss of dignity I was afflicted with during the month I spent in the hospital and rehab, I can tell of that some other time.  

Tonight I just want to focus on The Song. 

During those five weeks, Laura Story's "Blessings" became my theme song. 

" 'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise."

Ah , just what if the rains, the storms and those hard nights really were mercies in disguise?

It gave me so much to think about. 

They called me the "Queen of Email" because I got over 135 emails during the five weeks I was there.  Some were short "you're in our prayers" notes and some were long and newsy like "here's what happening and let's try to act normal" letters.  They were all much appreciated.

I read over the whole stack this week and found a couple songs that were shared,

"Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand,
But I know Who holds tomorrow
And I know Who holds my hand."

And,

"God is too wise to be mistaken,
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
The purpose of His plan
When you can't trace His hand,
Trust His heart."

I'm so thankful we can't see tomorrow, but we can trust His heart!

A couple weeks after I got home, our friends and neighbors held a fundraiser auction to help with expenses.

It was a most incredible and humbling experience. And what a faith booster! 

Our family sang this song at the auction,

"To God be the Glory
Great things He hath done...
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord let the people rejoice
Come to the Father through Jesus the Son
Give Him the glory great things He has done."

We were -and still are -so thankful for great and wonderful things He has done!
 I was alive and actually walking unassisted after less than two months!  
They told me at rehab they have never seen someone recover so quickly from such a serious injury! 
 So although there are still things I wish would get better, it is only because of a miracle that I'm standing here today. 

About a month after I got home from the hospital, Maranatha Bible School gave a program here at Brownsville.. 

That was the first time I'd been to church in two months, and it was ... 
Well. there are no words,
It was just indescribable.

Doing something normal like sitting in church. 
Worshipping together after being away for so long ..
Everything, from the congregational songs, to the Scripture reading and the choir singing....

It was just amazing.  

The memory is still very clear. 

We sang together,

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives."

After all I'd been thru, I knew I could face tomorrow with no fear, and even though I didn't know what kind of recovery was in my future, there was no need to fear because my future was in His hands. 

And then Kevin read from one of the Psalms that talks about the Lord being my Rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my strength, my salvation .... 

So many wonderful familiar words from the Psalms.

 

I am still in awe when I think of the verse I came across months after the accident. Like I said, I had been living in the Psalms, and I would often scribble the date beside an especially meaningful verse. Because of the accident, the muscles in my arms and hands were damaged and I wasn't able to hold my Bible for weeks and months. So I don't remember how much later it was that I was getting my daily dose of Psalms when I came across a date that I had written next to verse 8 of Psalm 42.

It was 1/12/13. The day of the accident. 

Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the daytime, 
and in the night his Song shall be with me, 
and my prayer unto the God of my life.

Let me repeat that,

Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindnes in the daytime,
and in the night his Song shall be with me,
and my prayer to the God of my life.

As I looked back over those months since January 12, I clearly saw that verse being played out -- His never ending lovingkindness in the daytime and His song in the night when pain is persistent and sleep is elusive. And it has continued in the months and years since then. 

There's one phrase at night that is probably the most played song on repeat, 

"Oh Jesus my Savior, my song in the night" 
And I don't know any other words, just
"Jesus, my Savior... My song in the night...." 

And then this old song, 

"You can have a song in your heart in the night 
After every trial after every mile 
Anyone can sing when the sun is shining bright 
But you need a song in your heart at night."

And the one that talks about God leading His children,

"Some thru the water, Some thru the flood,
Some thru the fire, But all thru the blood,
Some thru great sorrow, But God gives a song,
In the night season, And all the day long."

There's a couple more songs that often come to me at night,

"Where could I go, oh where could I go,
Seeking a refuge for my soul 
Needing a friend to save me in the end 
Where could I go but to the Lord."


"I need thee every hour in joy or pain 
Come quickly and abide or life is vain
 I need thee, oh I need thee, every hour I need thee."


There was one night recently when the pain was a mountain and the tears wouldn't stop,
I kept hearing, "Pain is so lonely, I'm so alone... so alone, ...lonely and alone...

This song suddenly came to me and stopped that voice,

"No never alone,
No... Never alone..
He promised never to leave me...
Never to leave me alone."

God used my husband that night to show me I am never alone.  Brian got up out of bed at that late hour and turned on bath water for me.  He stayed beside me and held my hand while I cried and soaked in the tub.

My Father reassured me that never leaves me alone!
 

Fathers Day, 2013, was the first time I drove a car after the accident. Five months later.

One beautiful sunshiney day not long after that I was in the car by myself and this song came on,

"Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name"

"Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering 
Though there's pain in the offering 
Blessed be Your name."

It was like I heard the words for the first time...
I had to put this one on replay ...

"Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering 
Though there's pain in the offering 
Blessed be Your name.

Every blessing You pour out I'll 
Turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name."

The giving and taking and praising no matter what..

Yes...No!...Yes!

It's all about choices -  

So whatever circumstances you find yourself in, however difficult or impossible,
Can I encourage you to go to your quiet place, fix your eyes on your Fathers face 
And ask Him to give you His words for your song.  

The last song I have to share is another one from Laura Story entitled, "Open Hands".

"The sweetest sound, the highest praise,
Is the letting go of this life you gave,
Our greatest prayer, our active faith
Is an open hand, Lord, have your way.

Take it all, every hope, every dream, every plan,
Take it all, every weight, all the shame and brokenness,
Jesus, I surrender all, every victory and loss,
Take it all, take it all, till all I have is open hands.

A clenching fist, a life of fear,
A burden held, has no place here.
Cause you call me now to cast it all
On the shoulders of the One Who's strong.

Take it all, every hope, every dream, every plan.
Take it all, every weight, all the shame and brokenness.
Jesus, I surrender all, every victory and loss.
Take it all, take it all, till all I have is open hands.

All I have is open hands

I'm not afraid of what I'll lose, my greatest joy is finding you,

I'm not afraid of what I'll lose, my greatest joy is finding you, it's finding you."

Thank you.