“Give
thanks to the Lord on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise. Sing to him a new song; skillfully play with
joyful chant.” Psalm 33: 2-3 NAB, revised edition
A few weeks ago I was feeling terrified of a potentially
devastating diagnosis. That fear is
still lingering in the back of my mind but some interesting things have
happened in the mean time to make it more manageable. I have found myself
either humming or singing to myself that hymn I do not like “Be Not
Afraid.” A friend suggested that it is
my prayer and a sign from God to trust Him.
Music is a great source of comfort. When my mother was terminally ill for some reason
I clung to the music of “Les Miserables,” which some consider a beautiful tale
of spiritual redemption. During a period
of personal confusion and spiritual desolation I found myself constantly
singing in my head the beautiful hymn “Hosea.”
As my father was approaching the end of his life I found comfort in the
strong, deep tones of the Russian composers, particularly Borodin, Mussorgsky
and Rimsky-Korsakov, not because Dad was Russian (he was Irish and German) but
because he taught us girls a deep appreciation for classical music.
Music is one gift from God that helps make fear
manageable, and it is one way that we can praise Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment