A New Song.

Psalm 149:1-4 Hallelujah! Sing to GOD a brand-new song,
praise Him in the company of all who love Him.
Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator,
Zion's children exult in their King.
Let them praise His name in dance;
strike up the band and make great music!
And why? Because GOD delights in His people,
festoons plain folk with salvation garlands!

I’m not a songwriter. And while I love to dance, I don’t necessarily fancy myself a great one. So to think about singing to God a NEW song – a song that has not yet ever been sung – is difficult for me to comprehend.

Music is such a powerful thing in my life. My husband laughs that my brain is a repository for any and every song I’ve ever heard (a road trip with satellite radio brought that fact to light for him). The melodies, the harmonies, the lyrics all blending together, cutting through the silence with mood and emotion and message-

What would a new song sound like, if I penned it? What would others hear if they listened to the song of my life? If it were written right now, reflecting back on 2008, perhaps it would be a symphony in 5 movements. The theme would be time.

There would be strings, hauntingly beautiful, with words of heartache and tenderness. My journeys to Guatemala and Honduras, my travels to the US/Mexico border. My visits to Beaumont, Midland, and Lubbock. Precious moments spent with beautiful children abandoned, rejected, cast aside.

There would the precious sounds of flute and harp and piano. Juxtaposed against the strings, even more beautiful and delicate, the movement would celebrate unity and love and life and tenderness. My husband. My children. My gifts.

There would be an overture of woodwinds – oboe and sax, filled with struggle and angst against a backdrop of drums. My endless hours on the road, trying so hard to remain faithful to the cause despite the whispers and attacks. The music would be enough – no words. And the movement would end abruptly, with one lingering note played from the oboe as the journey ends.

An interlude of flute and strings would then join the oboe. Hope and love remain.

There would be guitar – simple, rich acoustic guitar – filling the room with tender melodies and lyrics of refreshing and healing. The time spent with family and friends in gentle conversation, in worship, in laughter, in writings. The movement would resonate with names of the guardians of my heart.

And the final movement would be voices – children’s voices singing “Holy holy holy.” Voices singing “Great is Thy faithfulness.” Voices singing “I am Thine.” Voices singing to the power and the presence of a truly ALL Mighty, ALL Powerful God. A God Who delights in me and adorns me with His salvation. He indeed is worth celebrating. He indeed deserves a new song.