A song of many years ago began to play, and the words I had never heard, never considered a part of it, were there as plain as day:
“And the song that they were singing
Was for baby Jimmy Brown” and ,
“Cause the songs that they were singing
Was for Jimmy and his wife”
and at the end of his life,
“Twas farewell that it was singing
To our good ol' Jimmy Brown”.
That “they were singing (to)” was the part I had missed for the last sixty years, that the congregation sang to the young man on these events in his life. A song of praise, sure, a song of hope and goodness, and the thoughts of many others concentrated on him, and their intent a purpose of singing was to sing to and about Jimmy.
This got me to thinking about some other songs that we may have sung for my lifetime and a hundred years before, and they part of our lives, that with a little twist of thoughts can be songs that can be sung to someone, to an individual, to perhaps to us the receiver ;
“When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul”
How much closer can one get?
“What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bare
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer”
Closer yet, and then;
“Oh, what a wonderful wonderful day
Day I will never forget
After I wandered in darkness away
Jesus my savior I met
O what a tender compassionate friend,
He met the need of my heart,
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling
He made all the darkness depart.”
And then,
“Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace.
In the mansions bright and blessèd
He’ll prepare for us a place.”
The funny part is that the majority of the readers of this will have the tunes of each of these songs running through their heads, knowing most if not all of the songs, and wondering for the first time, if those were sung to them, for them, by the others, what meaning would they hold...
Ralph Peck
Photo by Hayley Westwood
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