Awake my soul and SING!

 

In my growing up family there were many things that happened that shouldn’t have,

but there were some things that should have happened that did.

My brothers and sisters and I, we grew up singing.

That was back in the olden days, (you know, the sixties)…

back before everyone was plugged in to their own private, electronic world of

internet

ipod

nintendo ds

portable dvd players

Way back then we would sing just for fun.

“I’ll sing the melody and you harmonize, ok?  Ready?”

We sang on long car rides, or at the kitchen sink doing dishes,

and of course we sang at church

out of the old red hymnal called Melodies of Praise.

The words of the songs nourished my spirit.

So did sitting there and hearing the Brother in the pew next to me sing bass,

while the Sister in the pew behind sang alto.

Little as I was, I picked up on the harmony and sang along

full and loud and unashamed.

Because there’s nothing quite like filling your lungs with air

and letting a song fly out

up, up, up, to the heavens.

 

 

So out of the treasuries of our own childhood,

(hubby grew up singing too,

and I think I fell in love with his song first,

that, and his blue, blue eyes),

we passed along the gift of song

to our children,

and now to our grandchildren.

With three little girls we played  “Name that Tune” 

on the rickety old upright piano

in the living room of the wee, white parsonage in the valley.

We sang on the long car rides to town and back

and we sang as we drove

over the river and through the woods

to grandma’s house.

We sang in the kitchen and

we sang at church

from the overheads on the wall

while the Brother in the pew beside us sang bass

and the Sister in the pew behind us sang alto.

And now on car rides with the grandbabies

we sing Raffi songs and Sunday School ditties

and the choruses from hymns that bubble up into our memories from that old red hymnal.

Because there’s nothing quite like filling your lungs with air

and letting a song fly out

up, up, up, to the heavens.

And God smiles

and twirls with delight

and lets His own song fly out

down, down, down

right to our hearts.

 

Still following (and singing),

Elizabeth

 

Happily linking here today~

This week’s Simple Pleasure…singing!