With My Song

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him."  - Psalm 28:7

I remember well the first morning we woke up in this house almost 36 years ago because I heard birds singing instead of traffic.  It has been one of my greatest joys of living here.  I love walking in our woods, and even though I do not always see the the birds I hear their sweet melodies.

Years ago a greeting card was given to me by a young woman I was mentoring that contained the verse above.  My response to it was to set it to music.  I can still sing it--like my memory of the bird song the melody has not left me.  St. Augustine is credited with saying "A person who sings prays twice."  There is something about the vibration you feel in your chest when you sing that permeates your whole body.  I think this is why a song of praise to God feels like praying twice--there are the words of praise you sing and then there is the feeling in your body that tunes your heart to God.  The "sweet, sweet sound" that we produce with our voice is lovely, but the sweet, sweet sound that resonates in our heart is what God hears and is glorified by.

I am grateful for music and the ability it has in "tuning my heart" towards God.