Sunday, June 18, 2006

The Songs We Sing~

Jesus Loves Me
Print by Kathryn Andrews Finch

This has been a big week for us - turning TWO is a BIG deal! Gracie never ceases to amaze me but this week I shed some tears. For weeks, Gracie's belted out "Deep & Wide" - there's a fountain flowing deep & wide; a song she learned in CLC KidsTown about the never ending fountain of God's love toward His children. This week as I was putting Gracie's shoes on & she started singing another familiar tune~
Jesus loves me this I know
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong.
They are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Though she missed a few of the words, it was by far the sweetest melody. This child's song is powerful when you really think about those words. The declaration that Jesus, God almighty, creator of heaven and earth, loves ME. And I KNOW it! We, as His children, belong to Him; treasured and cherished of our Heavenly Father. Though we are weak, He is indeed strong; strong enough for whatever makes me afraid. To quote an old song, "His strength is perfect when our strength is gone. He'll carry us when we can't carry on. Raised in His power the weak become strong. His strenth is perfect. His strength is perfect."
Jesus Loves Me comforts the soul. When my mom was sick, sick, sick in the hospital - I had no idea it would be the last day she lived, but while visiting her, Grace persisted in trying to get a book, a Bible I thought, off of mom's nightstand. After telling her "not for Grace" a dozen times, I decided we could look at the "book" together. Well, it was a hymnal. Then I remember my sister telling me that she & my cousin has swiped one from the hospital chapel so they could sing for mom. Mom was a singer when she was younger - lovely, lovely voice. I treasure the memory of her singing to me, with me when I was little and then, mom singing to and with Grace. The words were sometimes jumbled but charming still.
Mom affirmed she would enjoy it if we sang a bit. I went through the songbook, finding old favorites I hadn't sang in years...Standing on the Promises, What a Friend We Have In Jesus, Amazing Grace and finally, Jesus Loves Me - with all the verses. Now mom enjoyed the others, moving her lips to sing as she was able, but when I began to sing Jesus Loves Me, she began to breathe deeply, relax & "rest" in the song. I remember all day that mom was looking very deeply at Grace & I, like she was drinking us in. I think mom knew that it was the end and this song gave her peace to rest eternally in the love of Jesus.
Jesus loves me - it's been a favorite for a long time, holding special meaning for a number of reasons. One of mom's favorite stories to tell from when Tracy & I were kids was the one about Halloween when we were 2 & 3 years old. She took us trick or treating and our "trick" was singing Jesus Loves Me. One lady was so moved, she recorded the song to send to her son in Vietnam. I wonder if two giggly girls singing this Sunday School favorite brought a smile and perhaps reassurance that he was being held by the everlasting love of Jesus. I believe it did...
So sing on Gracie! Sing it 'til that message is embedded in your little soul, because He does indeed love you! Sing it for others so they will know they are loved as well.
PS - the print above by Kathryn Andrews Finch hangs in Gracie's room as a reminder of this precious love. AND special thanks to Christian Life Center KidsTown Children's Program http://clctoday.org/children.htm for singing with my little Grace. You'll never know how far your efforts go!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awesome words, Carmen - you ministered to my soul today. And I couldn't agree more about the terrific KidsTown team that help all our kids to know the most important lesson they'll ever learn, that "Jesus loves me"!

Anonymous said...

Carmen that was a really nice blog. Coming off of father's day you helped me remember those last days with my father. It's never easy to lose a parent, but the assurance of their heavenly reward and our comfort in that is great. So I agree with you sing Gracie, sing.

Anonymous said...

The 3 children in "Jesus Loves Me" are the spitting image of my granddaughter and 2 classmates in pre-school. I mean it is absolutly uncanny! The parents of the other 2 found the print in the local Christian book store and bought it to show us. We really, honestly thought Ms. Finch must have somehow seen a picture of our 3 children and used it to model this print by. I have a picture of the 3 of them together, if someone will send me an email or tell me where to send it so you could see it, you too will be amazed.