Through Our Pain

I am reading a book right now titled, Then Sings My Soul.  The book is authored by Robert Morgan.  Here is the description of the book.

"Does your soul lift in song when you hear the first few bars of a favorite hymn?  Robert Morgan's lifelong interest in hymns led him to discover the richness of the stories behind many of the best-loved hymns.  Many of the stories also reflect the impact the hymns have had on ordinary people as they read, heard, and sang the great hymns of the faith."

I picked this book up at a cute gift shop as we traveled back from our vacation in the mountains this past fall.  As soon as I saw the cover I knew I had to have it!  I realize that not everyone is familiar with hymns.  I am familiar with them to some degree because I grew up in a tiny Bible church in the country that still sang hymns.  My husband is far more familiar with them for several reasons.  The first reason is that he is much smarter than I and remembers basically everything from his childhood and the second reason is that he spent more time in a church that sang them.  My parents switched churches when I was about 13-14.  The new church we attended sang the contemporary Christian songs you hear more of in church now.  I love contemporary Christian  music.  I mean LOVE IT.  My Iphone is loaded with it.  I am a huge Third Day, Chris Tomlin, MercyMe, Casting Crowns, etc. fan.  Having said this I also love the great old hymns and would absolutely love it if they were still sang on occasion in contemporary non-denominational churches these days.

I remember growing up in church and dreading song time.  Granted I was 10, but still.  I have memories of ladies singing really loudly and really bad.  You stood up, sang a few verses of about three songs out of a hymnal and sat down.  The organist led the charge. I can still hear "Onward Christian Soldiers" which I loved.   Despite the memories I have of singing hymns as a child I have always maintained a fondness for them.  As an infant my mom would rock me to sleep singing "Amazing Grace."  She knew the depths of His Amazing Grace and wanted to fill her newborns mind with those words.  I don't remember it of course, but my guess is she sang to me in the quiet of the night in a small voice that lived each word she sang. 

So back to this book.  It has been so interesting to read.  I am learning the background to the most famous hymns in history.  I have gotten to know the famous hymn writers like Fanny Crosby, Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, etc.  I have also learned how some hymns have touched and changed peoples lives.  The biggest lesson I have learned from this book is that each of the authors had a rich and colorful life.  What they didn't have was an easy, comfortable life.  If your anything like me you wish life was easy... you know, sunshine and lollipops.  Sometimes I even think God owes me a comfortable life.  Why I think this sometimes I have no idea.  The Bible is pretty clear when it says, "in this world you will have trouble."  These amazing hymn writers had really hard lives by our standards.

The Bible says what Satan means for harm God can turn it for good.  Genesis 50:20 assures us that You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  When bad things happen in our lives we must be purposeful for turning them into good.  When I am not purposeful with the pain and frustration of my trials I just wallow in self-pity and nothing of any substance gets done.  Each one of the people I read about went through tremendous trials and persecutions.  From reading about them I did not get the impression that they just sat back and tried to figure out how they could get out of their mess or how they could be happy.  We are not called to be happy, but holy.  I am 100% sure they all had times of despair and depression, after all, who doesn't when life gets extremely difficult.  I don't believe Fanny Crosby skipped along smiling from ear to ear after her infant daughter died or at times she didn't long to see the sunrise.  They all had purpose.  They used their hardships for a purpose.  They gave God glory DESPITE their feelings and circumstances.  Their inspired words fill the souls of people from all generations. 

Some of my favorite hymns are "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," "Just As I Am," "Blessed Assurance," "Just As I Am," "Jesus Paid It All," "In The Garden," "Old Rugged Cross," and "It Is Well With My Soul."  My favorite three hymns of all time are "Jesus Paid It All," "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art."  My next blog entry will look at each author a little more in detail and will share some of the beautiful stanzas of the hymns.  Please check back!