Sue's World

Sounds of the Season

I love music but for some reason hardly ever listen to it unless my hubby has something playing.  We went to the cabin this past weekend and, as always, I enjoyed the music in the car and also that which accompanied our frenzied Rummikub and Uno playing. 

At home, my computer fan is about to die and it's been making a horrendous noise that's very distracting.  Yesterday I finally went to Pandora and started listening.  And then when I was downstairs cleaning I had music streaming through our TV.  How could I have forgotten how good music instantly makes me feel better?  D'oh!

On Pandora I have a mix of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Handel.  Downstairs I listened to Mozart.  Some of it is Christmas music; some isn't.  Regardless, it's all lovely.

Songs To Make You Cry With Joy

A few years ago I posted a link to a song I want sung at my funeral.  It's "When the Night is Falling" by Dennis Jernigan.

This is another.  It's by Chris Rice and is officially noted as "Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)".  Here are the lyrics.  This one was found by my hubby and it's been on his list for a long while.  A couple of weeks ago we heard it again.  And with tears in his eyes he turned to me and said that if he died before I did, he wanted this played at his funeral.  Me too.

It goes beyond a song.  It's security in the Truth.  The world can mock it; it's to be expected.  Darkness hates the light.  They believe the lie that they are their own god and their belief system really just reflects their behavior.  But the glorious thing is that they can have the Truth too; it's not exclusive to a few!

"When The Night Is Falling"

Rarely has a song touched me the way "When The Night Is Falling" by Dennis Jernigan has.  Months ago, this song was played in church.  I'd never heard it before and I never heard again until last night.  But after that first time, I researched the lyrics and the melody was seared into my brain. 

This is a song, as I told my husband on the way home from the candlelight service on Christmas Eve, that I want played at my funeral.  Wow; that's pretty strange, isn't it?  No, it's perfect.  And it won't be for me, it will be for those who are there.

Go look up the lyrics. When the Night is Falling Lyrics .  I found them online (updated 3/26/11).  I didn't research what inspired Jernigan, but I'll tell you why I was struck by it. 

The first part talks about the day being over and God calling "come".  I thought of it more in terms of being scared and needing the ultimate Father to gather me up into His arms.  The chorus is sweet:  "How I love you, child".  Again, I feel warm and safe in those words.  Then the last verse about life being over and the race having been run.  And again He invites me:  come. 

So why do I love it?  It's the most simple message.  God is calling each one of us, every day.  He is inviting us to come into his safety.  He doesn't say "only if you're good" or "only if you're nice".  He just says come.  And then, for those who have accepted His invitation on earth, He calls us to our heavenly home at the end of our lives. 

So last night as my husband and I drove away from church, he handed me a gift.  The only one I was to open on Christmas Eve.  It was a CD with this song.  And we popped it into the CD player and I cried the whole way home.  And I'm crying again now thinking about it.  I'm not sad...I'm just filled with emotion.  I'll bet not a whole lot of people accept a Christmas gift and tell the giver "I want this played at my funeral." 

This is a pretty big thing to share here, but I felt compelled to do so.  God constantly says "come".  But so many people never hear him calling; they're busy seeking answers all over the place.  They think He's turned His back on them.  But really they've just closed their ears and hearts. 

My Christmas wish for those dear to me is that they would look at those lyrics.  More importantly, I wish that they'd open their ears and hearts to hear the soft whisper:  "come".  And then they'd accept the invitation and know that they would be saved and safe forever.  I'm thankful for those that already have.