Dance to the Music

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Margaret

They say music is the universal language, and from what I can tell, God has programmed it into all of us. We see it in little children, when they begin bobbing up and down to elevator music, tunes on store speakers, or notes floating in from the car pulled up next to us. Some begin wiggling to songs in their high-chairs in something similar to the chair-dancing at retirement villages. Surely our loving God is responsible for all this joyful response to music.

Emerald, at 14 months, loves music. She’s learned to dip and bob, swaying to whatever tunes she hears, expertly waving her arms high in the air. She’s also a pro at chair dancing.

This week she discovered a new way to make music, the piano, and as I opened the lid, she literally baby-gasped with delight. The two of us spent a long time at the keys, me plunking out Twinkle Twinkle while she worked on harmony. Eventually she spotted the foot pedals and learned to make them thump out a little rhythm, too, beneath her pushing. Now the piano holds intense fascination for her, and she’s always up for a jam session.

Music is keenly important to nearly all of my children, and they make sure to work it into their daily lives. Those who are parents of youngsters encourage them to sing and dance, some by way of formal classes.

All of them end each day by singing songs at bedtime. Hans, here with his 3 oldest, makes sure they know how much fun it is to make music.

I believe God puts a song in our hearts for all kinds of reasons. In Scripture we see people singing after winning battles, and making music as part of their worship services. Instruments are played at celebrations, and gratitude for God’s blessings is sung out loud. People also sang at weddings, while in prison, and when they wanted to express the greatness of God.

The Bible also gives us one more way to think about music. When we’re buried in sorrow, God says we can anticipate that there will be singing in our future.

Apparently there’s never a wrong time to sing, for 3 reasons: (1) to express delight; (2) to please God; (3) to demonstrate joy in the Lord in front of others. And when we’re asked why, he is the reason for our song.

If we don’t feel confident of our abilities, though, we should remember that God can initiate songs within us in a variety of ways: through descriptive poetry, lilting prose, quiet humming, even the jaunty snapping of fingers. And because he’s the Creator of music, he can also put songs where they’ve never been before.

As for those who still feel under-confident or self-conscious? They can always dance…. even if it’s just in a chair.

“Speak… to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19)

Comin’ Up!

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Margaret

Having delivered 7 babies, I well remember the struggles of that last month. I was quite a sight in my snug maternity clothes, and comments from strangers in the grocery store didn’t help.

“My heavens! Are you overdue?” Or, “Looks like you’re carrying twins!” My favorite was the gasp of an elderly gentleman who said, “You look like you’re ready to explode!” I tried to view it as his way of sympathizing, though I did see him back up ever-so-slightly when I passed him with my shopping cart.

Our Linnea is currently in that self-conscious 9^th month when the whole world feels free to editorialize. Actually, she’s in her 10^th month, having passed her official due date several days ago.

It’s bad enough to feel uncomfortable, exhausted, and fat. But on top of all that misery comes the burdensome bob-and-weave of unpredictable emotions.

When a woman approaches (or passes) her due date, she can be just as surprised as those around her at the sudden weeping or flash frustrations. But the truth is, it’s hormonal, and it’s normal.

I remember being a week overdue with our first baby, Nelson, gradually accepting the fact (or so I thought) that the baby just wasn’t ever coming out. Tired of guessing if “tonight would be the night,” I felt better once I decided I was going to be permanently pregnant. And so goes the wild-‘n-crazy thought-life of a full term woman-in-waiting.

Sometimes those of us who are not waiting to give birth might have similar thoughts about another coming event, something many generations have been waiting for: the coming of Jesus. The Bible says he’ll return to our earth as the triumphant King of the World to set everything straight.

When I read today’s news and learn of the horrors in our world, I plead with the Father to orchestrate his Son’s return quickly, so people can be rescued from evil a.s.a.p. Though we know about some of the atrocities, there are many others going on in secret, even involving young children. And sometimes I wonder, “Lord, what are you waiting for?”

The only reasonable answer is that he’s hoping unbelievers will recognize the truth of his Gospel so they, too, will be saved. He may have other reasons, too, but whenever he comes, it will be “in the fullness of time,” his time.

For now, though, when I find myself crying for the sad, sometimes tortured situations of others, God reminds me of an encouraging statement he put at the end of the Bible. Jesus himself said it: “I’m coming soon.”

Meanwhile, in a couple of days I’ll be flying to Florida, bringing another pair of helping hands to my daughter and her family of about-to-be-six. And when I get my first look at her 10-month tummy on Sunday, I know the very best thing to say: “Honey, you look absolutely beautiful!”

“Jesus said, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

Melting the Ice

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Margaret

We in the Midwest continue to experience temperatures far lower than the inside of my food freezer in the basement. Every time I walk Jack, I “hear the snow crunch…” (to quote a popular song). It’s that special sound a sub-zero snow pack makes beneath my boots. But the neighborhood is striking in its winter attire and begs me to run back home for my camera.

Some of winter’s best visuals can be the icicles hang- ing from people’s houses. I remember our children orchestrating sword fights with 4 foot long ones and pleading with me to store bunches of icicles in our freezer for summertime fun.

One year an energetic eight-year-old “planted” rows of straight-up icicles all over the yard, which resembled a sparkling crystal garden. Another winter we made use of smaller icicles as ice cubes in our cold drinks. The refrigerator had died, and while we were shopping for a new one, icicle stir-sticks worked perfectly.

This winter, we can boast an icicle to end all icicles. It hangs from the upper corner of our front porch to the ground, a length of about 11 feet. Thirteen inches across at the top, it is absolutely gorgeous, and today I spent time studying it.

I don’t understand how water can melt in order to form icicles when the thermometer reads -10, but drip by drip this once-tiny icicle grew into a massive one. Such slow, steady growth can be a picture of the way other life-buildups can occur, too, such as the subtle way a good relationship can become frosty, little by little.

Small negatives can start to obstruct a friendship, for example, the way a tiny bit of ice clogs a drain pipe. Though the damage isn’t immediately visible, it forms the base-layer for further buildup. Drip, freeze, drip, freeze.

Incident upon incident causes increasing blockage until the rapport between two people has become frozen. Eventually others see it too, and suddenly we wonder how such an icy atmosphere was able to build up between us.

God wants us to act warmly toward each other and will never leave us out in the cold. Instead, he’ll take one of two approaches to thaw icy relationships. Either he’ll melt them slowly with the words of Scripture, or he’ll whack the ice down in one fell swoop.

Neighbors have told me I should use a shovel to knock the icicles off my gutters, since they’re heavy and can do permanent damage. Frozen friendships feel heavy, too, and sometimes swift intervention (i.e. a whack) is the only way to begin warming the affections between two people.

However God does it, we do know he wants us to act lovingly toward one another. And just like the warmth of spring will eventually melt our giant icicle, so the breath of God’s Spirit will melt the ice between two people…. every time.