I Will Sing!

My mother died when she was seventy-two. She died from Alzheimer’s, which stole her mind starting when she was 59. Mother was a registered nurse and served in World War II. She was also a violinist, and her mother was a concert pianist and organist. We sang at our house, and I mean we sang all the time.

When mother’s Alzheimer’s became so bad my Dad could no longer take care of her, she went to livin in a nursing home. We put a radio beside Mother’s head, thinking she would like the music.  To our surprise, she would sing along with the radio. Now, she couldn’t call her four sons by name, but she could remember the words to many, many of the songs on the radio. Alzheimer’s had stolen my mother’s memory and ability to think and make decisions, but she never lost her ability to sing.

The psalmist sang on good days and days that weren’t so good. The songs were not forced or coerced but a natural response to the “maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 146:6). The psalmist said God gives “food to the hungry” (v. 7), “sight to the blind” (v. 8) and “sustains the fatherless and the widow.” (v. 9) The reality of singing is that it reminds us of God and how He “remains faithful forever.” (vv. 5-6).

My grandmother used to say that everyone can sing. Some sing better than others, but everyone can sing. Singing is a way of praising – a way of expressing ourselves. As the old hymn puts it: “There’s within my heart a melody.”

Prayer – Lord, you watch over me from morning till night. Your provision for and protection of me are overwhelming. May my life be a continuous song of praise for You as long as I live. Amen.

Psalm 146:2 – “I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Image: Canva