March 23, 2020
A special blessing is attached to having been raised in church in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. I grew up learning old hymns and gospel songs that have been all but forgotten by my children and grandchildren. I was present when the first wave of contemporary Christian music crashed into the shore of those old hymns, unfortunately sweeping away much that was good. I am fortunate to have had them sung into my soul as a boy, as well as being present at the birth of the contemporary Christian music that is the bread and butter of later generations. I have the best of both worlds.
This afternoon, Linda and I drove to Home Depot for some supplies I needed for a project I’m working on. After getting what I came for, we stopped in for a quick visit to Walmart for some vitamins and just a few groceries. Seeing bare shelves that just two weeks ago were filled to overflowing is mute testimony to the fear that has taken hold of many in our community and country. The shelves have signs taped to them instructing shoppers to take only one or two of whatever was on them so others would be able to get what they need. It’s like Y2K all over again.
In the midst of this fear, some of those old songs are running through my mind, so I turned on YouTube to listen. The one I was singing is over a hundred years old, written in 1904:
Be not dismayed whate'er betide
God will take care of you
Beneath His wings of love abide
God will take care of you
God will take care of you
Through every day, o'er all the way
He will take care of you
God will take care of you
No matter what may be the test
God will take care of you
Lean, weary one, upon His breast
God will take care of you
God will take care of you
Through every day, o'er all the way
He will take care of you
God will take care of you
—Civilla D. Martin
Then there was this more recent one from Bill and Gloria Gaither:
Life is easy, when you're up on the mountain
And you've got peace of mind, like you've never known
But things change, when you're down in the valley
Don't lose faith, for you're never alone
For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley
When things go wrong, He'll make them right
And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times
The God of the day, is still God in the night
You talk of faith when you're up on the mountain
But talk comes so easy, when life's at its best
Now it's down in the valley of trials and temptations
That's where your faith is really put to the test
For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley
When things go wrong, He'll make them right
And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times
The God of the day, is still God in the night
The God of the day, is still God in the night
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, would send his preachers out with two things; a Bible and a hymnal. He understood that Christian faith is sung as much as it is preached. There are songs of praise in the sunshine, but also those that help us trust in the storm. There are many more than these two. I am thankful tonight for the deep well of hymns and gospel songs that help me sing through the night. The morning will come, but until then, I will keep singing in the dark.
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