Spirituality ... Fulfillment
Songs of Faith – Anchors the Soul
By Karen Everett Watson, Legacy Letters
Has your faith gotten stronger, as you’ve gotten older? I know mine has. Many of the elders I talk to and interview are quick to share that their belief in God gives them a deep sense of solace. They also say that their faith has never been stronger than it is now.
The music of their faith, is also a constant in their lives. While I love the contemporary praise songs we sing at church, the ones I truly cherish, I learned as a child. “The Old Rugged Cross”, “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand”, and of course, “Amazing Grace.”
It’s the same with older folks. Just ask them about their favorite hymns.
When I learned the old hymns as a child, I had little understanding of the words. These are the songs that you grow to understand. As I get older, the true essence of these lyrics has been revealed to me. When you’ve gone through hard times, when everything seems to be going wrong, these songs come to mind.
“There is peace in the time of sorrow, there is peace in the midst of the storm. There is peace though the world be raging, In the Shelter of His Arms.” These words and melody have helped me through many times of despair. Many mornings I have these songs “playing” in my mind even before I’m fully awake.
When my children were growing up, we often rode to church with my parents. It was our tradition to sing church songs on our way there. I can still hear my daddy’s bass and my youngest son trying to also sing the low parts. My mother still has a beautiful soprano voice and it was wonderful to hear it in the tight spaces of the car. My daughter and I always sang alto with my oldest son singing tenor. The kids are all grown now and drive themselves and their families to church on their own, but I bet they often think about our songfests while riding to church.
My parents are still more than capable of getting to church on their own, but I know they’ll come a time when they need some help attending services. How many elders miss the fellowships and wonderful music because they can no longer drive? It’s up to us, the younger folks to make sure they stay connected to the people and music of their faith.
What songs of faith do you cherish? Do you know your loved ones’ favorite hymns? That reminds me, I need to start teaching my favorites to the grandkids!
