Connie's Coda*
Monthly Column by Constance Gilbert

At seven, I didn’t know Jesus, but I was falling in love with music. I was learning all the songs that would eventually bring great meaning to my life: "Jesus Loves Me," "This Little Light of Mine," "Fishers of Men," "Give Me Oil in My Lamp," "Jesus Loves the Little Children," "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man," and my favorite, "Altogether Lovely."

One wonderful day, I went to the parsonage; a huge, black grand piano sat in the living room. More than anything, I wanted to learn to play it. Eagerly, Betsy and Annie taught me to read music and to play that very piano. (I was a bit disappointed to have to learn “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” first.) When my hands grew big enough to reach octaves, I was overwhelmed with happiness as I touched each key and finally was able to play "Altogether Lovely." By then, I had met my Savior; I sang it to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, my Savior and friend:

"Altogether lovely, He is altogether lovely, And the fairest of ten thousand, This wonderful Friend divine; He gave Himself to save me, Now He lives in Heav’n to keep me, He is altogether lovely, Is this wonderful Savior of mine." (Words and music © 1931 by Wendell P. Loveless)

Over 50 years later I still love children’s songs, the old hymns, and worship choruses. I have sung in numerous choruses and choirs plus directed children’s choirs. Now, I look forward to singing in a heavenly choir some day -- with perfect pitch and never forgetting a word!

I want to share with you two special moments in my life.

As we laid on the floor preparing song posters, my young son asked, "Why do you spend all these hours on kid’s choir?"

"I’m a seed planter," I answered asking if he remembered "Input/Output."

Did you know that the most requested song during prison worship services is "Jesus Loves Me?" Yep, what goes in as a child, can pop out - in a blink of an eye; and play on and on, over and over to reassure and encourage us. What if we had never heard though? What does not go in, cannot come out. Yet when we fill our memory banks with good stuff, God can bring it to mind at the very moment we need it!

One Sunday night, when I was 33 years old, we had a hymn sing-along. A teen surprised me when she requested page 473. I would have expected "Victory in Jesus" to be an older person’s choice as it was written in 1939.

I thought I knew every hymn in the book, but I didn’t know this one. As I sang the words, I felt bathed in the assurance that Jesus, the Great Physician, is victorious. Little did I know that my life was to be endangered by the unknown; that in the morning I would be near death.

As I was being wheeled into surgery for a scheduled hysterectomy, my mind was singing "...He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him...." As I submerged into unconsciousness, "I heard about His healing..." were the last words I remember.

And they were the first words I remember when I woke up, hours later, in the recovery room. It would be another three days before I was awake enough to be told I nearly died.

I did well after surgery in spite of the complications. Then suddenly, four weeks later, I was rushed to the Emergency Room; my family was told the next 24 hours would determine whether I lived or not. I had meningitis and encephalitis.

No one asked me! I could have told them I knew God wasn’t done with me yet, and He had promised me "Victory in Jesus!"

Now, 30 years later, my mind overflows with songs reminding me of God’s love. Just consider some of these titles: "Jesus Paid It All," "Oh, How He Loves You and Me," "The Center of My Joy," "The Battle Belongs to Him," "He Is Able," "He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands," "Mourning Into Dancing," "Not In the Valley...Just Changing Mountains," and "He’s Always On Time."

November encourages us to "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" and to "Count Your Blessings, Name Them One By One." For me, thousands -- no, hundreds of thousands -- of songs are blessings to me along with the people who wrote the words, composed the music, and taught them to me. Consider, what is it that fills your mind? When you’re in need, what is in there for God to bring to your remembrance?

As the mother of one child, a son, the words of this last song¹ still touch the very depths of my heart. And I hope they will stir yours also:

“If you only had one son, would you send him to this earth to come in lowly birth where no one felt his worth? God did, God did.... Would you let him pay sin’s debt? ...Would you let him bleed and die...between earth and sky? God did... God did, God did! Would you send him back again... to face a world of men, who still are lost in sin? God will, God will, God will, God will!”

 

¹Author’s note: I sang this in the 1982 Singspiration Conference Choir. It was part of the premier presentation of Derric Johnson’s "The Crimson Bridge -- an Easter Musical for Rejoicing." As I shook Derric Johnson’s hand afterwards, I knew my relationship with God would forever be changed! Now, I can’t end without including the closing narration. "... we need to bow and give our lives to Him! (For)... you can’t really see His face until you kneel at His feet." Kneel with me, my friend; in adoration, let’s seek His face.

---

About the Author: Connie is currently writing a book on Breaking the Chains of emotional abuse. She is the coauthor of "Christ's Light: In and Beyond Us" (an e-book), and she writes for several Christian publications. Connie would love for you to visit her blog site found at www.consheartstrings.blogspot.com. She can be contacted by e-mail to: cgeewriter@yahoo.com.