Lead, Kindly Light

I've loved the hymn "Lead, Kindly Light" for years.  I see it as a song of hope, but when I chose it for congregational singing, I would get negative comments and questions about why I chose such a depressing, downer song. Basically, a lot of people think this should only be sung at funerals. Too bad for them.  They also won't be happy to know that I just wrote another tune.  It's in a minor key, so it will be even more dark for them.  But guess what, life is often dark.  And we need that light leading us on. Sometimes it's the lantern we carry. Sometimes it's the ray of sunshine in the distance.  Sometimes it's a single candle flame shining through the window.

For many, this is a song about putting trust in God, and that was certainly the case for the man that wrote the words.  It's becoming more than that for me.

Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!

No matter how heavy and dark life becomes, there is always light available for me to follow.  

The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!

That light can lead me to discover who I really am and where I belong.  

Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I'm learning to live in the now and not stress over the past, or worry excessively about the future.  

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;

This is certainly not the way I used to live.

I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!

I used to plan out every detail.  I had to know where I was heading.  I'm learning to trust the journey.

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

I was determined to be the absolute best.  Anything less than the best was a failure.  I'm getting over that.  

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on.

I've now had enough experience just trusting the process to know that I just need to find and feel the light and let go of all the other stuff.

O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

But I'm not over the rough stuff yet.  But I know that morning will come.  

Random Thoughts

Life has been life, and I have not had the time to really gather my thoughts for a coherent post lately.  But there are things I need to write, so I'm doing it today, even if it doesn't make much sense to anyone else.

Item 1
Yesterday I was listening to this and realized that except for the part about being in love with someone, it is exactly how I have felt about my life the last few weeks.

It has been a time of growth and awareness and amazing insights which hopefully I will have time to share more of later.

Item 2
For most of my life, I've been the exception to the rule.  I gained 100 pounds on a drug that has a side effect of anorexia.  I learn some things extremely quickly, and other things that seem simple to most people I struggle with.  I have to find how to make things make sense to me.  I had the thought the other day that I in certain aspects of my life, I am expected to be fine with getting the milk before the meat.  That is fine.  It makes sense.  But I think people have been trying to give me cow's milk when I was lactose intolerant.  Once I switched to almond, soy, or rice, the milk was fine, in fact, it was glorious.  In other words, I figured a few things out this week that I have struggled with my entire life, because people used language and images that makes sense to me.

Songs of Hope

I'm in the process of planning the music for church for the next few months.  As I flipped through the hymnbook, I found 3 songs that I absolutely love that we don't sing very often.  One of the reasons we don't sing them often (even when I'm choosing the hymns) is that people comment that they are depressing or that they are funeral songs.  While appropriate as funeral hymns, that's not what they are.    They are hymns of hope and light, hymns of encouragement, hymns of peace.

"Lead, Kindly Light" is one of my favorite texts and melodies. This arrangement by Mack Wilberg lets us hear the Light (yes, with a capital letter) that is in this song.  You can read the full text here.



Eliza R. Snow's beautiful poem "Though Deepening Trials" does speak of trials, ills, and tribulations, but it also proclaims, "press on, press on"and "lift up your hearts" and "ye shall have peace".  Seven verses are printed in the LDS hymnbook.



"Each Life that Touches Ours for Good" is a lovely hymn that is very appropriate when dealing with the loss of someone you love.  I think that message is bigger than one of comfort.  I think it is a reminder of how God works through his people.  The song is also a challenge to be one of those people that touches other lives.  It doesn't have to be big.  I can be as simple as a smile.