Monday, January 23, 2012

Drained and Wanned, Strong with a Song

One might think that less events, conflicts, and chaos is the best.  Quietness and kept schedules are the foundation for normalcy.  Well, after last week's lowlight of our alleged painter/witness to a robber/robber himself/victim of being held up at gunpoint while we were off the premises, and the highlight of Mike's excellent interview, the lowlight of my swollen eyes and overwhelming tiredness, and the exciting highlight of house hunting in our prospective new area, the lowlight of watching a small paperclip fall down the back of David's throat while checking out of Whole Foods, and the highlight of my cousin moving in with us for his first job - I have never been so close to bursting into random song than now.  Yeah, there were a few tears.  But the encore-to-crying song is then sweeter and more earnest.

In High School, I couldn't wait to get into the empty stairwells, and bust out a little tune while I sped up or down the stairs.  My friend Dana said, "perfect," after telling her at our reunion that I taught HS musical theater and music.  She was one of the ones who noticed my random singing and occasionally pushed the door open to my tune-filled stairwells.  I'm so glad that my arsenal of songs is so much better - many praising God for his greatness, and of course, a few from Wicked. "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty.  Who was and is and is to come."  "He will make a way, when there seems to be no way.  He works in ways, we cannot see - He will make a way for me."   "Behold our God, seated on His throne, Come let us adore Him. Behold our God, nothing can compare, come let us adore Him."  "It's really a- nice, don't you think, you know black, is this year's pink - you deserve each other, this hat and you, you're both so - - -smart." "What is this feeling, so sudden and new? I felt the moment I laid eyes on you?"

I'm not sure calmer days would lead to such singing.  By our friends and family's standards, this is crazy.  By our standards, this is all pretty crazy. But these circumstances can never be out of the range of God's 'crazy' sovereignty on our life.   We are all well and well-versed.


Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. (Psalm 95:1-3 ESV)


for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
(Psalm 63:7 ESV)



Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The LORD has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
before the LORD, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
(Psalm 98 ESV)


And there you have it.  Bursting into song all over creation, for the best reason possible.   This pretty much takes care of the singing, the questionable people, the help, the state of dependency needed, and the overwhelmingly strong protection.  Even in the lowlight, we are in the shadow of His wings.

When was the last time you burst into song?