Living Hope

“…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and powerless—mere delusion; you are still in your sins and under the control and penalty of sin…If we who are abiding in Christ have hoped only in this life and this is all there is, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.”—1 Corinthians 15: 17, 19, Amplified

Clearly, my first influencer for love of music was my dad’s mom, the pianist who had me at the keyboard when I was 4. But not far behind are my mom’s mom and dad, who were not musicians at all. They just loved God, and through thick and thin, they sang to Him in their own not-musician voices. In fact, there was a song that my grandmother loved during her failing years that became instrumental in my own day of salvation. It wasn’t my style but I couldn’t get the message of incredible living hope out of my head:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives

The thing that grabbed me then is what still grabs me now:

The Son of God is not dead.

And if I believe in Him, then where He has gone, there I go as well. It’s the Song that will never end. More than that, if God is able to raise the dead, there is nothing that He cannot do here and now.

Which may be why this week, people in Brazil who have been social distancing joined my grandmother and did something really amazing:

Then there’s my mom’s dad, the dairy farmer who was up before dawn every day and loved singing old hymns on Sunday morning. He has been just as influential. Even the early riser part. Stepping outside this morning, I heard the bird chorus that’s growing with each passing day (even if it is supposed to snow tomorrow)…

…and one of the hymns I remember Puppa singing the loudest came to mind out of nowhere. History says it was written in a nature-filled setting like my back yard. But it’s the lyrics, especially the second verse, that are in step with my grandmother’s favorite song for such a time as this:

When morning gilds the skies, my heart awakening cries:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair

May Jesus Christ be praised!

The night becomes as day when from the heart we say:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

The powers of darkness fear when this sweet chant they hear:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

This past week, my grandparents’ influence has never been more meaningful. And through their attitudes and songs of faith, they have helped establish an essential calming, daily “to-do and to-be” list:

• Keep an attitude of prayer
• Keep being thankful
• Keep informed but practice social distancing from 24/7 news and social media craziness, and let songs of worship and edification fill your house and mind instead
• Keep singing, keep drinking in the lyrics, and let faith drive out fear
• Keep singing “Because He Lives” as loud as you did on the day you were saved
• Keep singing it like those Brazilians
• Keep at it because fear is persistent
• Keep in the Word of Truth and comfort and promise, and especially hang out in the Psalms
• Keep being wise in protecting yourself and those around you
• Keep thinking of others and how you can be a good neighbor
• Keep getting outside in the sun and keep breathing this God-given New Hampshire air
• Keep starting the day right by stepping outside to listen to the birds’ songs
• Keep singing, like Puppa, at the top of your lungs,  "When Morning Gilds the Skies”
• (Most of all) Keep letting that thing that grabbed you back then grab you again, over and over, even right now:

“The Son of God is not dead …

And if God is able to raise the dead,

there is nothing that He cannot do here and now.” ...