From the mouths of tiny, sweet Angels.
A few years after the passing of my wife Shelly I found myself in Church walking down a hall towards a class I was going to attend.
For some reason that day I was broken. Even years after Her passing I sometimes feel shocked that She is gone. Still, I sometimes have thoughts of discouragement, overwhelming sadness and my heart hurts…
Frankly… some days are just hard.
As I walked I started to hear small children singing. And stop. Then they’d start again… and stop. Finally, in a sweet, quiet, almost pleading voice, I heard the music director (her name is Aly. I know her husband Drew, well) tell them, “Remember, you are singing to God, so sing loud so He can hear you.”
And the words that they sang, in their sweet, angelic little voices, was directed at… and FOR ME. And they pierced MY HEART.
They sang…
Where can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace?
When other sources cease to make me whole.
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart,
Searching my soul.
Where, when my aching grows,
Where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.
He answers privately,
Reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind,
Love without end.
As I stood outside the room listening in, my eyes were filled with tears as I marveled at the fact that God… in that exact moment… was using these sweet primary-aged children to comfort ME.
JUST ME. No one else but ME. God had singled me out… He knew me by name and was sending me a message of hope and love. FOR ME.
How cool is that? The God that made the Universe, knows me by my name. And was speaking to… ME personally.
That song… “Where Can I turn For Peace?” has become an anthem for me. Many times since, when I’ve needed help, I’ve searched out and listened to that song.
I’ve listened to it by choirs, by women, by men, solo and duets and even acapella. Maybe every version there is. (Thanks YT Music)
FYI: I’m still searching for a “funk” version and a “hair metal” version because those are my favorite types of music but have yet to find those. (Maybe that’s a good thing.)
And when I saw that song come up on my “most frequent songs” list recently I knew I had to share my experience. But it also made me wonder about YOU.
Yep… YOU.
If YOU are struggling or are discouraged or disheartened in this moment… maybe this message is just FOR YOU.
Maybe God is singling you out right now.
He is aware of YOU. He knows YOU by name. YOU are important to Him. He knows of your pain and anguish and would love for you to lay your sorrows, your fears and your heartache at His feet.
He will bare the burdens for you. You can experience peace and comfort right now. No matter your circumstance.
I know this to be true… as I have many times done that myself. THAT is where we can turn for peace.
Of course, THIS time the message was NOT brought through the mouth’s of tiny sweet Angel’s singing.
Rather through the mouth of a battered, scarred, older, loud-mouth of a man who has faced the storm himself and realizes the power we have at our disposal to be filled with hope, happiness, and joy…
Even AS we face the trials that are for our good.
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