Morning by Morning

Recently, I gave a harp lesson to one of my online students. During her lesson, we focused on something called rolled chords. It usually takes a little practice (often weeks of practice!) to get rolled chords to sound smooth and completely even, but it's well worth the effort! Rolled chords are a hallmark, a distinctive feature, of harp music. 

One of the songs my harp student was working on with her rolled chord exercises was a lovely hymn titled, "Praise to God, Immortal Praise". 

"Hmm... try slowing your chords down just a little bit.", I said to her during her lesson. 

I continued by saying something like, "I would rather hear you play this song slowly, but smoothly, than to hear you play it fast but with choppy chords. Our goal is to have these chords evenly rolled."  

I proceeded to demonstrate to her exactly what I meant by playing that song on my harp while she watched and listened. A week later my student had them down. Her chords were so lovely and even, and the hymn lifted both of our hearts upward in praise to God! 

My student's lesson was on a Thursday afternoon, and several days later, I woke up on a Sunday morning with that hymn, "Praise to God, Immortal Praise" on my mind, first thing, when waking up! I hadn't had that happen to me in a very long time, in many years.  

Having that happen was so special to me, and I immediately connected the song to my harp student's lesson three days earlier. It also reminded me of something I'd prayed many years ago when I was in my early 20's.

Back when I was about 16 years old, I met a dear, Godly woman about my mom's age. She and her husband and children moved to the same town my family and I live still in, and she and my mom became good friends. 

I first met this woman at a local church that both our families attended. She had a very strong, distinctive, alto voice that could be heard above anyone else during congregational singing! Her desire to sing to God, with her whole being, was an inspiration! She didn't seem to care who heard her; she simply loved to praise her Maker! 

I remember her sharing with me one day that she loved to sing at home just as much as she loved to sing at church. She said that God would often give her a new song every morning when she woke up, and she would sing that song back to the Lord.

Wow! That sounded so special to me!  

Since I also love to sing, I thought I might ask the Lord if He would do the same thing for me. And so I prayed. I specifically asked the Lord if He would please wake me up with a new song on my mind every morning just like He did for her. 

God answered.

Within a few days, I began to wake up with a song on my mind every morning. 

It was incredible to watch God answer that prayer, and if I remember correctly, I woke up with a new song or hymn on my mind nearly every morning for a year or two. It was usually a song I hadn't been thinking about or singing before hand.

That gave me great inspiration to start out each day praising the Lord!

Lamentations 3:22-23 says: 

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." 

As the line of a beautiful hymn says...  

"Great is Thy faithfulness! 

 Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see!" 

As the years went on, waking up with a song on my mind every morning slowly faded out. Life got busy, and sadly, I forgot about my song every morning from the Lord. 

The dear, Christian woman who inspired me with her song every morning passed away from cancer back in 2009 when I was 26 years old. I knew her for 10 years, and I had the privilege of playing the harp at her funeral. Zonya was her name. 

She said that she would meet us "at the gate" of heaven, watching and waiting for those she loved to join her there someday! To those who knew her, she was an unforgettable woman in more ways than one! My mom took her death quite hard, but to this day my mom says that, when she gets to heaven, all she will have to do is listen for her singing voice to find her!

I remember her for her singing voice too, but I especially remember her for her inspiration to praise God every morning with a song! 

Are you looking for something inspiring to do every day throughout the upcoming, warmer summer months? 

May I suggest asking God for a song every morning, one that you can sing to Him that day? 

I'm going to ask the Lord if He'll please do that for me again. I'm certain He will answer!