Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to Joni and Friends.
Yep, it’s where you know how much we love singing – especially beautiful old hymns. This morning when I woke up and came to work, I was singing, “Sing the wondrous love of Jesus; sing his mercy and his grace; in the mansions bright and blessed, he’ll prepare for us a place.” I tell you, a song – I mean, words to a song like that – keeps you in focus, and it’s why Ephesians 5 says, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.” It’s a command. And it’s a command I'm happy to obey.
Making music in my heart is something I grew up doing. I was raised in a musical family – all my sisters and I love to harmonize – and I took 10 years of piano lessons when I was a kid. So even though I’m no Amy Grant or Sandi Patti or Twila Paris – even though I don’t always have the best pitch – music is a huge part of me. My best memories of singing hymns go back to childhood days when we’d go beach camping along the sand dunes of the Delaware shore. My dad would put up a big sunny surplus army tent – the kind that would sleep 18 cousins – and we’d make a week of it. The best part was always at night, huddling around the fire and following Daddy as he’d lead us in singing: “Some poor fainting, struggling seaman, you may rescue you may save.”
Whenever we would pile into the car to go anywhere, my mom or dad would start us off: “There’s within my heart a melody, Jesus whispers sweet and low.” And, of course, years later, when I had my diving accident and became paralyzed, it was those hymns that helped me in my darkest hours: “Help of the helpless, oh abide with me.” And late at night I would softly sing to comfort myself; to give myself a hug; to remind myself of brighter days to come. I'm just grateful I had memorized so many stanzas to so many hymns: “Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side, bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.” I’d speak those consoling words to myself, just like that other verse in Ephesians 5 where it says, “Speak [speak] to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” And I think that’s the best part about memorizing words to hymns – you can always speak those words to yourself, to others, or to the Lord. Like often in the morning on the way to work, my friend who drives me and I will pray. And many times I will start off saying, “Let’s open it up with praise,” and then I might say: “Immortal, invisible, God only wise; in light inaccessible, hid from our eyes.” Or I may start off saying, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.” See what I mean? We can speak to one another, and to God, using hymns and spiritual songs.
In all these words of hymns and singing reminds me that today is the last day to get your free CD of five or six songs I’ve recorded on a disk called “The God I Love.” I’ve even got one on there of me and my sister harmonizing on: “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.” And one of Ken and me singing together. It’s a beautiful collection – my husband keeps it in his CD player in his car, he loves it so much. And you can get your free copy by coming on over to my radio page today at joniradio.org. Again, that’s joniradio.org. And don’t forget – today, sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. Speak to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
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