Hymns

I was raised on hymns. My parents sat in the third pew from the front, organ side, and every Sunday, they took me up there with them. I learned to be seen and not heard in church - and I learned the words to all the hymns.

All four verses.

Sometimes five.

When I was a little girl, the thick red hymnals were too heavy for me to pick up, so Mom found a little paperback songbook in our piano bench at home. It was red, and I declared it my hymnal. I carried it with me every Sunday, and when the song leader invited us to take out our hymnals, I pulled out my tiny red book and sang all four verses - as though those words were in front of my face.

Then I became a teenager.

I hated hymns, organs, slow beats, and everything else I'd been raised on in the world of music. I didn't understand why we sang in King James - about how great Thou art - and I had no clue about what an Ebenezer might be (other than Scrooge) and why in the world we should raise one. Why giveth when you can just plain give and save a syllable?

I wanted to listen to the edgy music. (And by that, I mean Steve Green and Sandi Patty.) And secretly, I did - starting with their hymn albums because it felt less rebellious somehow.

It was actually Bill Gaither and his Homecoming tapings that taught me to love hymns again. Bless Bill for giving those things a beat. I started tapping my toe and remembering that little known fourth verse.

And now - I love them. I love their beautiful old language with greatly underused words. I love their richness. And I won't lie - I still love a good beat and a hymn belted out as an anthem. The louder, the better.

I have one for you that you may or may not know. I wish I could find this one in a good anthem sound. This rendition is acapella, but it's still good. The song is called Day by Day.

This song became precious to me during my desert last summer, because of the line that says The protection of His child and treasure is a charge that on Himself He laid. I loved the reminder that He chose to protect me HIMSELF. No matter what someone else might do to me - He was going to treasure and love me.

Last week, the line I quoted over and over was Help me Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, e'er to take as from a Father's hand - one by one, the days, the moments fleeting, 'til I reach the promised land. What I'm facing right now has been handed to me straight from HIS hand - and it can be trusted. And the sooner I can embrace that - the better.