Hymns

Singing With Virginia

/ pastorpete51 / 9 Comments

O Sing unto to the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 96:1 KJV

I have been praying for God to open doors at the long-term care facilities I visit, but I wasn’t prepared to see them swing open quite so wide. Today seemed like just any another Thursday morning at the West Wing which is the memory care portion of one facility I visit. I got there at my usual time and found about a dozen folks seated in the TV area by the nurse’s station. They seemed happy to see me as we started singing “Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man who stilled the waters!” As the chorus rang out I noticed behind them a lady named Virginia who was pacing aimlessly back and forth hunched over her walker. I paid little attention to her until she suddenly turned towards us and shuffled in our direction. Being concerned that she might fall, one of the nurses jumped up and gently redirected her back to the hall. But just a minute later Virginia was back and this time walked right up to me and stood quietly for a moment, then reached out her finger and touched the strings of my guitar.

Curious to see what she would do; I assured the nurse that it was fine and I watched to see what she would do next.  I had not been able to see Virginia’s face because she was so completely bent over her walker but on the next hymn she looked up at me and began to sing. Her face lit up with a smile as she stood next to me and our voices joined together, “Jesus – Jesus – Jesus – Sweetest name I know. Hears the every longing of my heart – Keeps me singing as I go!” Oh yes doors began opening today but the doors that swung open wide were not the ones I expected, they were ones to my heart and hers. God sent Virginia to remind me that everyone in all the earth needs to sing for you!

I’ll Fly Away

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.    Philippians 1:23 ESV

I used to visit an elderly couple, who were physically no longer able to come to the church services. I would bring my guitar so that we could sing together, and we always laughed when their two parakeets decided to join in. While on the slower hymns they would cheep and dance a bit on their perch, when we sang the hymn, “I’ll Fly Away”, they often got so excited that on the days when the cage door was left open, they flew right out and up onto a high shelf, where they joyfully tweeted with all their might!

Photo by sergio souza on Pexels.com

That memory from years ago came back to me yesterday with the passing of yet another dear friend into the presence of Jesus. It reminded me that while we are here on earth, we are in a body that like the bird cage is not our permanent home. We can sing and praise the Lord the best we can from our low perch, but at the time that God chooses we have an appointment to keep with Jesus.  Because of His death and resurrection, our cage door has been opened and when we hear His voice we will spread our own wings and fly up and away. There He has prepared a high and heavenly new perch from which we be able to sing a hymn of praise forever – on that highest ground of all!