This is dedicated to Thea, Cheryl, Holly, Katie, Christine, Tara, Kristen, and Danae… and the eight precious newborns born this past month.
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
Psalm 65:8
With her baby blanket wrapped lovingly around her shoulders, I held her, my beloved daughter as I sang her to sleep. Songs of worship, praise to our God, lulled her to sleep each night. Old choruses from church, hymns, Christmas songs. These were the songs that I serenaded her with in that sacred half hour that marked the divide between day and night. I cherished those moments while holding the gift and praising the Giver.
Shortly after, a blessed son was given and added to the jubilant chorus of worshiping God through whispered songs and peaceful melodies at the close of the day. Songs filled our days and even our nights. By now, my daughter was one of the ones singing my son to sleep with the hymns and songs that we sang with her. I remember one night, her three year old voice echoing from the upstairs room singing “At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light…” and “Grace, grace, God’s grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within…”. When we added a third little choir member and then a fourth to the Harris home, we began playing a lullaby scripture album and as the words would carry them off to dreamland, it brought me into the presence of God in worship and rest.
Several months ago, with our fourth then almost two years old, we added a new bedtime song. I didn’t mean for it to necessarily become the new song, I just kept pressing play on this selection every nap time and soon, it became the bedtime song.
The other night, my 3 year old asked, “Can you play the song that says holy, holy?” Ah… yes, the bedtime song. Based off of Mary’s magnificat in Luke 1:46-55, it is a song of praise to God for remembering his mercy to His people and for choosing Mary to become the mother of the Son of God. She rejoices in God, her Savior, with a song of worship for the mighty things He has done. And in between these words of praise, my little ones fall asleep for the night.
“Magnificat”, Rain for Roots, Album: Waiting Songs
My soul magnifies the Lord
My spirit rejoices in God
My soul magnifies the Lord
My spirit rejoices in God
For He who is mighty
Has done great things for me
Holy holy
Holy holy
Holy holy
Is His name
[Read]
His mercy flows in wave after wave
On those who are in awe before Him
He embraced his chosen child, Israel
He remembered and piled on the mercies, He piled them high!
It’s exactly what He promised
Beginning with Abraham and right up to now. (Luke 1:50, 54-55 from The Message)
My soul magnifies the Lord
My spirit rejoices in God
My soul magnifies the Lord
My spirit rejoices in God
For He who is mighty
Has done great things for me
Holy holy
Holy holy
Holy holy
Is His name
Words by Mary, mother of Jesus
Music by Flo Paris Oakes (©1999 Flo Paris Music)
Scripture quotation from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Photo by Melody Davis