The Horse and The Rider

           One of the things that I think about in the middle of the night is the legacy that I will leave behind. There's a book that my hubby encouraged me to read called "When The Game Is Over, It All Goes Back In The Box". It talks about what actually matters in life, and one of my biggest takeaways from the book was that investing time in your family will always payoff. Your money does you no good when you die and neither does your house. Your children are what carry on your legacy, your traditions, and even your stories. I guess that's one of the reasons I'm glad to have a larger family. That is something that will truly last.
           Father's Day is coming up next weekend, and I was thinking about my own dad who died over 20 years ago. My dad was a guitar playing pastor who sang lots of songs straight from the Bible. I loved going to church in a large meeting room of the YWCA, sitting in a circle of folding chairs, and singing my heart out with thirty or forty other people. I loved sitting next to my dad and holding his hand while he led us in prayer (sitting next to my brother and holding hand was not a good idea...he'd squeeze my fingers so tightly during prayer that l'd cry out loud, warrenting a look that could kill from my mom). One of my most cherished treasures is my dad's Bible that has all the songs we used to sing high-lighted.
            My four month old loves to be sung to, so the other day I began singing songs to him that my dad taught me. This is an easy way to help him memorize scripture while also creating a memory. When a memory of a song we used to sing is triggered in my head, I am not only encouraged by the words I sing; but I am also reminded of my dad. Someday, I want him to read the Bible and hear the song play in his mind when he stumbles upon a scripture that I used to sing to him.
             One of my favorite scripture songs is called "The Horse and The Rider", and it comes from Exodus 15:1-2. Moses and the children of Israel were rejoicing over escaping from the Egyptians by God parting the Red Sea for the Israelites and then closing it back onto their enemies. The verses we used to sing say, “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him." I have sung this over amd over to my son in the past month, and it has encouraged me to no end. It reminds me of how powerful God is...and that He can definitely handle my circumstances.
          On this past Friday, a dear friend sent me a text of the verse, " NOW unto the KING immortal, eternal, invisible. The ONLY wise god be glory and honor forever and ever amen." This triggered the memory of the hymn, "Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise" that I hummed for the rest of the morning...encouraged by God's power. (I went to a Baptist school where I learned all the great hymns as a child) Yesterday,  I was brought to tears by the first stanza of the hymn we sang in church. It felt like a personal message of hope straight to my heart.
            I don't know what you are facing today, but I would encourage you to sing a song of scripture or a favorite hymn you love...even to your own child. It'll lift your spirits and leave a treasure for your child to remember both you and God's word by.
            What is your favorite song? I'd love to hear your comments!