Musical Memories

Kelli over at "There's No Place Like Home" hosts a show and tell every Friday. Hop on over and see her special treasures along with links from others who participate in this fun little activity!


This Friday I wanted to share a precious treasure to me. This past spring my Grandmother passed away. It was a blessing to know she was a Christian and went home to Heaven to be with the Lord. She had been in a lot of pain suffering from arthritis and osteoporosis. I was so happy to know that her pain was ended; but miss her so much.

I was able to attend her funeral. It was a blessing to be able to play and sing for her funeral - as she had said many times she wanted me to to that for her. I was never sure I would be able to - but told her I would try. We sang many of her favorite hymns and I tried to play my best to make her proud. When I was preparing to come back home I was presented with something she wanted me to have - her hymnbooks. I was awestruck and blessed by the heirloom given to me that day.

When I arrived home I began going through them and playing the old hymns lining the pages of these old books. I noticed a different flavor to the hymnbooks of yesteryear and our modern hymn books. So many of the pages are filled with songs about Heaven. I have thought as I have held those books in my hands - that our grandparents and great grandparents of old held these song books in their hands as they suffered through the depression, famine, wars and family tragedy. It became clear to me that their focus and their stamina came about in part by the hymns that filled their worship on Sunday, their kitchens on Mondays and their children's lullabies at the close of the day - hymns of Heaven and the glorious life that awaited them after this life ended.

How I will treasure these books for years to come. I thankful I was to have them passed on to me. I stayed with my grandmother for quite awhile after my grandfather passed away in 1984. I would spend my days working in the garden with my grandmother, cleaning the house and the many duties that we had during the day; but at the close of the day - when the sun was setting and the evening dishes where done - we would pull out these old hymnbooks and sit together and sing our favorite hymns. In one of the books my grandmother had written the pages numbers of three of her favorites in that book - I was there when she wrote those pages - and seeing her handwriting again - made me feel close to her in my heart.

One of my favorite hymns is "Day by Day" :

Day by day and with each passing moment - strength I find to meet my trails here.

Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment - I've no cause for worry or for fear.

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure - gives unto each day what He deems best.

Lovingly it's part of pain and pleasure - mingled toil with peace and rest.

Thanks for stopping by this Friday. I would love to have you tell me your favorite hymn.

Talk with you next week,

Jane