Mercy Sings in the Morning

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”—Lamentations 3:22-24

   

It was quiet. Really, really quiet. And dark. We woke up early this particular morning to get ready to hit the road to sing at a little coastal church in Texas. I sat on the couch with my coffee, savoring the silence. The abundance of birds that take refuge on this farm were strangely silent. Even the obnoxious, never-ending noise of the nearby highway was silent.

I gazed toward the horizon though I couldn’t see past the barbed-wire fence. Slowly, a tiny glow appeared in the distance. Immediately, one lone bird, who apparently was perched somewhere in the tree above our rig, burst into song.

I listened in amazement. That bird waited until it saw the first light. It’s funny, the profoundness in something so simple. Even Creation knows to celebrate the light, to praise the mercies of a new morning.

Those profound moments always give me a deep comfort. No matter what’s going on, when God's Creation shows us the simplicity of life, suddenly things line up in perspective.

Bruce and I have stuff going on. Frustrating stuff. Sometimes it’s hard to keep our faith energized. But then, God knows our struggles. That bird reminded me to sing. Sing because Jesus is the light piercing the darkness. And it really doesn’t matter what life throws at us, we rejoice because He is the God of the impossible. He makes streams in a dry desert and roadways in a pathless wilderness. (Isaiah 43:19)

“Be anxious for nothing,” He says…well, actually commands. He knows who He is and what He is capable of. As we learn to trust Him more, we start getting a clue that He’s pretty mighty. Nothing fazes Him, nothing surprises Him.

Even the sparrows sing. They’re tiny and vulnerable—a blip on the radar in the aviary of life. Yet God knows what they need and provides for them. He even sees when they fall. So, if He cares about them, He cares deeply what is happening to us.

Sometimes we need these little reminders of God’s love. With no distractions, I heard and saw clearly His message on this early Sunday morning: Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. (Psalm 33:3)

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The Power of Praise

"Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power”—Psalm 21:13.

Nursing homes are never an easy place to be. Many times they are the last destination for ones that have lived a fairly long life. Most residents are not in the minds they once knew, and all ail from one sickness or another.
 
Bruce's 93-year-old grandmother had been in a nursing home for quite some time. No longer able to stay with her family because of medical issues, she became a permanent resident.
 
Bruce, my mother-in-law Betty, and I made our way to the secured area of the facility where she resided. She sat in her wheelchair, absently staring at the floor. As we approached her, she looked up, sheer delight spreading across her face. We hugged and kissed her, wheeling her into the little living room reserved for private family visits.
 
Although happy to be sitting there together, our conversation started to get a bit strained. Grandma was hard of hearing, couldn't talk very well, and suffered from memory loss. Long silences filled the gaps in our conversation.
 
There had to be some way of communicating together.
 
Suddenly, I felt the Lord impressing on me to sing. However, I choked up with emotion as I fumbled around for a starting point. I sensed the impression again, urging me to continue. Pulling myself together, I asked, "Can we sing?" With great relief, all three of us plunged in, enthusiastically singing out the old familiar hymns: Amazing Grace; What A Friend We Have In Jesus; How Great Thou Art.
 
Grandma's face lit up and away she went! The strain was chased from her face as she sang with us at the top of her voice. The wheelchair seemed to melt away. We were all lifted up and out of that nursing home to a familiar and happy place where communication gaps and sickness don't exist. For those moments, we enjoyed the same space and the same time.
 
Intrigued, I watched her joyfully expounding on every word. She remembered the words!—words she had sung long ago that had been tucked away in silent rooms somewhere in the recesses of her mind. The melodies of those old hymns led her heart straight to those rooms, unlocking them like special keys to forgotten doors.
 
Apparently, the singing from our little room wafted through the entire wing of the nursing home, and more than one heart was unlocked that day. The nurses still talk about it. God's Presence had a profound affect on patients and staff alike.
 
Praise in the form of music is powerful and transparent, walking through any wall that has been erected and unlocking every door that has been tightly shut. It knows no boundaries. 
(Acts 16:25-26)

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