(Sorry about the problems I had last week. It's sort of weird to have those blank posts! The blog was really acting up - once it "published" something when there was nothing there to publish! And I wasn't even touching the keyboard! The trouble apparently lay with the server connections.)
Here are the words to the song I wanted to share with you in the last post. If you haven't already read it, scroll back to that post and do so, to get an idea of the context.
I Am Your Peace
Whisper in my ear, "My peace I leave with you."
Jesus, let me hear the words I need from You.
While in this world, I can't escape its pain nor from its troubles run.
But then You say, "Take heart! I am your peace. The world I've overcome."
Carve it on my heart, your covenant of peace.
Lord, it cost so much to sign and seal it for me!
Your nail-torn hands reach out to steady me, to trace the pledge once more.
And then You say, "Take heart! I am your peace, who comes to heal and restore."
Send its soothing waves, the river of your peace.
Pump it through my veins with every heartbeat - Peace!
Your thoughts of love flow out to feed my soul, to lift my head up high.
And then You say, "Take heart! I am your peace. The final victory is mine."
Forge it in my life, the pathway of your peace.
Mark it clearly, Lord; cut through the thorns and weeds.
Oh, Prince of Peace...sometimes my footsteps fail...it's so hard to go on...
And then You say, "Take heart! I am your peace, the Way that leads you Home."
- Becky Rhon
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One day a close friend came over and told me I should enter a contest! I hardly ever listened to the radio, so I hadn't heard about it. There was going to be a missionary convention (run by the Ecuadorian Missionary Association, to get out the concept of nationals also becoming missionaries), and they were holding a contest for song-writers. They needed a theme song for the convention. Since I was writing music, my friend urged me to participate.
I was hesitant at first, because my songs tended to just come to me; I couldn't make them appear. I had also never written one in the form of a congregational song. But those weren't the only things that made me wonder if I could do it. Remember my feelings about becoming a missionary? (Last post.) How could I write a song about it? So I decided I'd just "tell it like it is". The lyrics talk about God making us to honor Him by reflecting His love, and the fact that we tend to find excuses! The name (in English) of the song is "Here Am I". The first verse talks of making oneself ready on a personal level, and the second one on a group level. I wanted to emphasize that in order to work alongside others, first you must have your own readiness and dedication worked out. The song also talks of the example Jesus gave us, leaving everything behind; and it says that God wants more than just our "leftovers"; He wants full surrender. I may not have been actually feeling that, but the song became a tentative prayer for what I wanted to happen in me.
I was fairly sure I wouldn't win the contest; after all, it was nation-wide! So I didn't tell many people, only those who helped make a recording of the song to send in. I had pretty much forgotten it...and then one Sunday night my husband came home from church with a huge ear-to-ear grin. He just stood there looking at me...."You won!"
People from the organization had come to Shell, and in our church's evening service they announced the winner. Later, one of the leaders, who was also a friend, asked me why I hadn't told the church I was entering the contest. He said they would have felt as if everyone was participating through me...which is precisely why I didn't tell them! I didn't really expect to win, and I didn't want to disappoint anyone. (I imagined that there would be many, many songs from which to choose...which turned out not to be true. Saying I won a nation-wide contest sounds cool, but there were only nine entries!)
The song was printed in the hand-out packets at the convention, and I oversaw the teaching of it to the people. One thing I remember clearly was being up on the stage, with the background music (I can't remember if it was a track or if I was playing my guitar)...and one young man very "helpfully" came to the front to play along...in a completely different key!
Needless to say, this whole experience was therapeutic. I was able to focus a little better on possibilities for the future.
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During the next month, December, I am going to be sharing Christmas poems that I have written. So please join me! And have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
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