peace

For one of my classes I had to share what helped me grow in my faith. I can think of many things: memorizing scripture, praying, Bible reading, church attendance, fellowship with Christian friends, tithing, etc. But the one that has helped me the most is the hymns I have memorized. A few years ago I came across an old hymnal at a library sale which I bought and memorized throughout the years. One of my favorite things about hymns is how many of them are almost word for word identical to verses in the Bible. The Bible promises that his Word will not return void, and many times in my hardest circumstances, I would remember a hymn that gave me comfort or strength.

An example was my sophomore year of college. I was at a really strict school and I worked on campus 25 hours a week to help pay for my studies. My co-worker and I were harassed by a married man who worked there. In the end when I finally reported it, I was interrogated for hours multiple times, and told not to tell anyone. Since I didn't have any proof I was accused of lying about it--and the penalty for that was expulsion. My coworker was in her last semester of school was a risk of getting expelled too since I reported for both of us. I was never so scared, stressed, alone, and drained as I was that week. The next day when I walked to work, not knowing what to expect I then remembered a hymn out of the blue. A part of it is:

Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm

Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest,
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark;
O accept of this peace so sublime!

Remember those words just gave me an incredible calm and peace. In the end he was moved to another department, but it was one of many reasons why I transferred to Liberty. I often find when other people are struggling I don't know what to say, but I often know what to sing. The Bible says we are to sing to one other as a means of encouragement and that is very rare to find from my experience. One of my favorite verses is from Job when he just received the most devastating news. He arose, shaved his head, rent his mantle, and fell upon the ground and worshiped. No matter what happens around us, God wants to hear us sing.