“My Life Flows on in Endless Song” (ELW 763)
Devotion
My life flows on in endless song;
above earth's lamentation,
I catch the sweet, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.
Refrain
No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I'm clinging.
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?
Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear that music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing? Refrain
What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth.
What though the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth. Refrain
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am his!
How can I keep from singing? Refrain
Thunderstorms and scary movies thrilled me as a child. I sat up late at night with the windows wide open, fully embracing a raging storm. I laid in the dark watching Alfred Hitchcock and Twilight Zone on television, reveling in the suspense. I never felt afraid because of one thing: my father. He was big, strong and secure. He held my hand when the movies became frightening. He held me on his lap during wild storms.
Since my father's death when I was seventeen, I have learned to be afraid. Since becoming a parent, I have learned terror. "My Life Flows On in Endless Song" calls us not to let things that are scary or difficult dominate us. Even stronger than grief or storms or strife is the never-ending security that comes from our savior. Nothing can take him down and he’s holding tight to us.
Prayer
Lord, just as you have called us into the world, you have also called us into your arms. Give us the comfort, strength and courage we need to face what comes—knowing we are always in your care. Amen.