From a Mothers Heart to her Daughters....
Dear girls,
This morning as I was listening to a minister on TV and he mentioned this hymn. Though I grew up in the Southern Baptist church, I do not remember ever singing this song. What powerful words. Here is a modern version of it from YouTube:
When He Reached Down His Hand for Me
Once my soul was astray from the heavenly way
I was wretched and vile as could be
But my Savior in love, gave me peace from above
When he reached down His hand for me
When the Savior reached down for me
When he reached down His hand for me
I was lost and undone, without God or His Son
When he reached down His hand for me
I was near to despair when He came to me there
And He showed me that I could be free
Then He lifted my feet, gave me gladness complete
When He reached down His hand for me
How my heart doth rejoice when I hear His sweet voice
And the tempest to Him I can flee
There to lean on His arms, safe secure from all harm
Since he reached down his hand for me
I have not been able to find the author or the circumstances behind the writing of this song. This is what I do know....when life is crashing around you...when grief grips your every emotions...when pain suffocates you and you feel like you cannot breathe...listen to this old song. Close your eyes and allow God's Spirit to cover you. There is a transforming spirit of peace and release. I cannot explain it.
My failures in life and my losses have really weighed heavy on me this year...this summer especially. I do not know how I could breathe each day if I didn't first lean on God. No matter how bad I felt, no matter how much I wanted to give up, I have found healing in praising God anyway. Nothing else has been able to comfort me more than those things from God-reading the Psalms, hearing old songs like this, prayer. Nothing on this earth can numb me enough to escape the harsh realities of this year but I can feel an incredible peace and joy and it only comes from God. He is my sanity.
I am working on letting some things go. It's keeping me from His healing. It's keeping me from that peace and joy God has for me in my pain and loss. You will have to do the same. Life will never be easy nor will it be perfect. No matter what you face, seek Him girls. Make Him your life. And learn to praise God in all things. You will be stronger, happier, and even content in the worst of times. Mama knows.
