He Keeps Me Singing

There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still
In all of life's ebb and flow

Chorus:
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Sweetest Name I know
Fills my every longing
Keeps me singing as I go

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife
Discord filled my heart with pain
Jesus swept across the broken strings
Stirred the slumbering chords again

Feasting on the riches of His grace
Resting 'neath His sheltering wing
Always looking on His smiling face
That is why I shout and sing

Though sometimes He leads through waters deep
Trials fall across the way
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep
See His footprints all the way

Soon He's coming back to welcome me,
Far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown,
I shall reign with Him on high.

(by Luther Bridgers)


Well, our plans for yesterday didn't quite work out. Our daughter was running a low fever and just generally mopey, so we stayed home. Since hubby had taken the day off, he hung out with the kiddos while I ran a couple errands by myself. As I was driving between stores, the CD was playing and the words "Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go," seemed to bore into my heart. Have I been been willing to give Christ every longing, or I have I been holding onto them tightly and trying to fill them myself?

I came home and did a bit of research into the background of the hymn, and it's generally believed that Mr. Bridgers wrote this hymn shortly after the death of his wife and three sons in a fire. He was only 26 years old, and already experiencing great tragedy. Rather than succumbing to bitterness (which would have been so easy!) he chose to rest in His Savior, and even turned his pain into this encouraging, victorious song, much like It Is Well With My Soul by Horatio Spafford.

I'm not going to be able to keep singing unless I'm being filled... and that means allowing Him full access to all the cracks and crevices in my life. Then, and only then, can I know the peace and joy that allows me to not only get through life, but keep a song in my heart.