Tuesday, September 04, 2007

He Keeps Me Singing

Last Friday, my wife’s family gathered to celebrate Aunt’s 59th birthday. The nephews and nieces gathered at the piano and began singing. The family boasts of three music teachers, of which two took turns in the keyboard. First, it was the praise and worship songs, including those of Don Moen and the Hillsongs. Everyone, including the guests and those of the newer generation, joined in the singing. Then we sang choruses, those pre-hillsongs. Then we sang hymns. The voices of my aunts got louder and louder as we were singing their favorites. One aunt, who was confined to the wheelchair, sang the loudest, as if wanting to stand up. Someone commented that we are obviously showing our age with the preference of our songs. There was another one who expressed joy when she sang hymns. She missed it a lot in her new fellowship. The voices of the younger ones toned down because they’re not familiar with hymns. But we encouraged them to sing.

I’m sharing to you the lyrics of one of the hymns we sang. God keeps us singing.

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He Keeps Me Singing

There’s within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low,
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
In all of life’s ebb and flow.

Refrain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

Sweetest Name I know,
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go.

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,
Discord filled my heart with pain,
Jesus swept across the broken strings,
Stirred the slumbering chords again.

Refrain

Feasting on the riches of His grace,
Resting ’neath His sheltering wing,
Always looking on His smiling face,
That is why I shout and sing.

Refrain

Though sometimes He leads through waters deep,
Trials fall across the way,
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
See His footprints all the way.

Refrain

Soon He’s coming back to welcome me,
Far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown,
I shall reign with Him on high.

Refrain

2 comments:

Tinunuy said...

we used to sing hymnal songs too whenever there's a family reunion. :)

Anonymous said...

wow, i can imagine, it must be a heartwarming moment. very much like a movie scene. would love to have a singing family, but alas, God had other plans :) happy birthdayto your aunt.