Lessons from Singing in the Car

We love music in this house. Almost any kind of music. At only a few months old, Jesse actually would not ride in the car without Disney’s “The Jungle Book” soundtrack playing. By the time he was a toddler, he’d graduated to what he called “Rockin’ the Roll,” singing at the top of his lungs. When Ben came along, we played everything from Veggie Tales to Steve Green scripture songs in the car, eventually graduating to my personal favorite, 1970s pop.

One especially trying day, I noticed something I’ll never forget. The boys were fussy in the back seat and there was no music playing, so I turned on some random something. No effect. I popped that out and put in Steve Green’s “Hide ‘Em In Your Heart.” The lyrics are actually quoted scripture put to original music for children. Within one minute, the whining stopped. They were humming and singing. It wasn’t the music. It was the words–God’s Word.

Not long after, the boys were in the playroom and I heard a crash. Ben had toppled out of a big toy storage bucket and popped his head on the table corner. I scooped him up and pressed his bloody noggin. The three of us hopped in the car and drove to the emergency room. Jesse and Ben were both scared and crying. I said, “How about we sing?” I started, “When I am afraid, I will trust in Thee, I will trust in Thee, I will trust in Thee,” the familiar scripture song we’d learned. By the end of that phrase, there were only sniffles. On the next phrase, there were two little voices coming from the back seat singing quietly with me. This momma just about squalled. Imagine trying to hold it together during that fearful time with such precious proclamations of assurance coming from a toddler and preschooler.

Those little boys lived out an important truth before me–never doubt the power of the Holy Spirit to work through scripture. Memorize it. Sing it. Say it aloud. Proclaim it to the mountaintops. Speak God’s Word back to Him, reminding Him of His promises, reminding ourselves of His promises.

“When I am afraid.”

Fearful times aren’t limited to childhood, a particular life stage, or even circumstances. Sometimes fear seems irrational. It can be overwhelming. The Bible verse I sang with my boys even includes the word when, not if, to remind me there is no question that I will experience times of fear. It’s a given.

Throughout scripture, we see the command to fear not. Look at this little bit of research, the number of times these phrases are used in scripture:

“Do not fear.” 66 times (ESV translation)
“Fear not.” 158 times (ESV translation)
“Do not be dismayed.” 13 times (ESV translation)

If you look at just a few of the verses in context, the people God commanded to fear not had great reason to be afraid. They were afraid.

For example, the situation in Deuteronomy 31 gave Joshua every reason to be afraid. Moses was no longer going to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Joshua was. He’d heard the report from the 12 spies who saw the giants in the land. It was a daunting task. But here’s what Moses said to Joshua:

It is the Lord who goes before you.
He will be with you;
He will not leave you or forsake you.
Do not fear or be dismayed.
(emphasis mine)

Jump to Joshua 1. Moses has died at this point. The Lord commissions Joshua, sending him into the Promised Land with these words:

Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened,
and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
(emphasis mine)

God knew how Joshua was going to feel. And like Joshua, God knows how we feel. He knows we will be afraid. He knows we will be dismayed. Praise God, He does not leave us alone to sit in that fear. He gives us Himself. He promises His presence, His help, His strength. When I live in light of that truth, fear doesn’t take centerstage. God does.

God’s promise of “I am with you” is attached to those 237 commands to fear not. Fear not is possible because He is with me. God is with me.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid? 
Psalm 17:1

Memorize it. Sing it. Say it aloud. Proclaim it to the mountaintops.

Worth the Ride Part 2

“All of it mattered.” Beth Moore
“Nothing is wasted with God.” Jamie Ivey

I recently read Beth Moore’s Chasing Vines. She wrote about the desire to know that her life–all of it, good and bad–has had meaning. She even made a point to differentiate between something being “worth it” and something having meaning. I pondered that for a while, especially since I’d just written a whole post about things being “worth the ride.”

“All of it mattered.” 

I’ve used “worth it” as my go-to when I’ve had a difficult experience or season. I’ve said, “It was worth it,” trying to bring a sense of purpose to it. I’m ready to change that to, “It mattered.” I agree with Beth Moore. I’ve seen my family and friends endure hardships I would never say were worth it. There are things I’ve weathered I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I’ve had to come to grips with my good God, His sovereignty and omniscience, and the reality that from my perspective the stuff was painful, wearisome, and just not worth the ride. Those troublesome times were not what I would have chosen at all.

God has been gracious to show me some of His purposes. Let me be very clear, in some instances the purpose for the hardship hasn’t been discernible at all, and it may be heaven before I see how it meant something.

Who can testify to us that there is meaning, there is purpose in suffering and hardship? Sarai (Sarah) would not have chosen the ache of childlessness. Ruth would not have chosen the grief of being widowed, the fear of leaving her homeland, and the stigma of picking up the scraps left behind by harvesters. Mary would not have chosen the shame of being unmarried and pregnant. Martha and Mary would not have chosen the heartache of their brother’s death. Mary Magdalene would not have chosen the torture of being possessed by demons. The woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years would not have chosen the grip of illness.

These women knew the pain borne of their circumstances. 

In the middle of the pain, I don’t know that they would have proclaimed, “Oh, yeah, it’s worth it!” I have to remind myself that like us, they lived the hardships moment by moment, not knowing if they would ever find rescue. 

From their stories, we know that rescue eventually came:
Sarah gave birth to Isaac in her old age. (Genesis 21:1)
Ruth met and married her kinsman redeemer and husband picking up those scraps. (Ruth 2:8)
Mary heard from an angel that this baby was the “Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:32)
Martha and Mary witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:43)
Mary Magdalene experienced the freedom from demons when Jesus cast them out. (Luke 8:2)
The physically ill woman found healing when she touched Jesus’ garment. (Luke 8:44-48)

Rescue did come. Before the rescue though, God Himself met them right smack in the middle of their aching need. He gave them Himself, His presence, and moments of respite. After God rescued them, their circumstances didn’t change completely or the hurt disappear altogether. They carried the scars of their suffering well after their rescue — and even their scars mattered. 

“Nothing is wasted with God.”
Our hardships and the scars they leave behind mean something.

James 1 and Second Corinthians 2 mention a few of the possible outcomes of our suffering:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4 (emphasis mine)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our affliction,
so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction,
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (emphasis mine)

Pull out those words and phrases that describe our sufferings’ fruit: steadfastness, perfect, complete, lacking nothing, comfort those who are in any affliction, comforted by God. Those aren’t just words. They are real evidence that God is leveraging our hardship for the Kingdom through fruit. (Beth Moore) They are evidence that our suffering and scars matter.

Would those women from the Bible say their pain was worth the ride? Maybe. Maybe not. I do believe they would say their suffering meant something, though. If we listen closely, we might even be able to hear them whisper, “All of it mattered.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The thoughts above remind me of a little story and a few photos about two fellows of mine
who were totally worth the ride:

I have often described three times in my life using Karen’s trunk-riding imagery (see “Worth The Ride” post):

1. My short stint with oral contraceptives (sorry)
2-3. My two pregnancies

All three were like being thrown in the trunk of a car with a flashlight and a book only to be driven through the hairpin curves of a rural mountain road for 9 solid months.

THREE times.

NINE months each.

I actually told my long-time family doctor if pregnancy was anything like being on birth control, those babies would have to get here some other way. It was just not worth it. He threw his head back and cackled! Well, those babies got here the usual way, and let me tell you, I was “not a good car rider” on those two “trips.”

These are the two boys who made those 9-month trips worth the ride. ❤