I think it came to bring comfort and peace

So the latest election debate Sunday evening, while entertaining, was horrible.
It felt like a dark cloud over our lives.

Two days later I woke up (I had woken up before that, but you know what I mean)
and didn't think much of it as I sang these words Tuesday morning:

"Fear not though the enemy deride
It takes courage for the Lord is on our side
We will heed not what the wicked may say
For the Lord, the Lord we will obey."

They may not be the exact words of the hymn but they were the words I was singing.
It's how I remember it...this song I've known since childhood.

It was odd to me, that I wasn't even thinking about this song. Like it wasn't even in my head, I just
started singing the words. And at first I wasn't paying attention to what the words were saying.

Suddenly after several times going over these words while vacuuming and doing laundry, I stopped
and thought....where is this coming from? And what hymn is this?

Then another verse came to me:

"If we do what's right we have no need to fear
For the Lord our helper will ever be near
In the days of trial his Saints he will cheer
And prosper the cause of truth."

So I then went down the hall where Den was working and sang a few lines to him. "What is the name
of this hymn? Do you know? I can't place it."

He didn't know at first but then he began singing another verse:
"Let us all press on in the work of the Lord....."

"That's it. Let Us All Press On."!!

So then I went looking for it on youtube. And played it over and over while I did more chores. It
brings me such comfort. The words. In a way I'd never really heard them quite like this before.

To me, it's like it was written for this very election. But actually, I discovered both the text and music
were written by Even Stephens, and he died in 1930!

Then my mind started wandering to my Mom and the things she use to tell me. I thought back to that
one particular evening when I was a young teenager. We were having some sort of crisis in the world
at the time, and my little brother Scott was crying about it and afraid to go to bed. I was in the other
room but I heard Mom say to him, "Our greatest protection in this life is keeping the 
commandments. If we do that we will be just fine." 

I don't know...but maybe my Mom put this hymn in my head Tuesday morning. Whatever, I need it.

4 comments:

Scrapally said...

What a beautiful reminder. And I believe our loved ones are closer than we think.

Anonymous said...

Lovely.
darlene

Karen Mortensen said...

A very comforting song.

grandmapeg said...

This is one of my favorite hymns and you're right, it does bring peace and comfort especially during this time where there is so much negativity with the candidates! Thanks for sharing this hymn.

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