Singing

Yesterday a colleague started humming as he poured his coffee in our office kitchen. It was beautiful. Reminded me of yesterday's reading in Joni Eareckson Tada's devotional, Pearls of Great Price, encouraging us to break out into song whenever we get a chance. She said that the Bible mentions only one time Jesus sang (although no doubt he sang very often without mention): the night before his crucifixion (Matthew 26:30). Paul also sang: at midnight, in a wretched jail, his back lashed bloody by the whips of his persecutors (Acts 16:25). There's a lovely line in an old hymn, "Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing...." I'm asking God for that kind of "tune-up" this morning.

There's an interesting story back of my ownership of Joni's book. In November, when we invited our Michigan friends to meet us at a mall food court, one couple drove several hours to be there. They are now our friends, but we had never met them before that day; she was a reader of this blog. Chuck asked how they planned to recognize us, and she said, "Oh, I thought I'd look for a lady in a red hat." Sure enough, I had worn the same hat that's in my photo here. Even without it, they'd have had a hard time missing our large and chatty group. Anyway, she gave me Pearls. I suppose you all recognize Joni as the woman who at 17 suffered a diving accident that made her a quadriplegic. In the decades since, she has made a huge difference for handicapped people around the world and has taught big lessons to the rest of us.

I need to leave early this morning for my blood test. Sometime tomorrow I'll get the report. Whatever it is, by God's grace I'll try to continue to sing His praises, even in my kemo-cracked voice. God is daily doing a miracle of wellbeing for me.

Grandson Justin called last evening, safely back from a wonderful cross-cultural experience in Costa Rica. We're thankful. Grandson Jeremy (in Niger) made "photo of the week" at sim.org. Click on it to read more.

Love,
Carol