Children of the Heavenly Father

I enjoy listening to musical scores. They evoke the scenes, the emotion, the sense of a movie. Some of that music has endured - like the blood-pumping theme from Rocky, the beautifully unfolding start to Chariots of Fire, or the haunting strains from Lord of the Rings.

The score of my life includes lots of hymns, my brother's guitar playing, songs we sang - and traveled about, singing - in our youth group, and the duets of my mother and my aunt. (I wrote about their singing and the gift it was to me here.)

AmblesideOnline's hymn for this term is "Children of the Heavenly Father." It is a beautiful hymn, with a lovely story behind it, of pastor's daughter Lina Sandell-Berg and her Christlikeness and faithfulness in life's trials. (To see part of a wonderful film about it, go here.)

This hymn was part of the church and ethnic heritage for my mother and my aunt, who grew up in a Swedish Baptist church and sang together all their lives (they still sing together, especially each week in our church choir). I wanted to post the song clip here, but I couldn't figure out how blogger does that.

So - I resurrected my erstwhile website, libertyandlily.net, which I mean to revise "one of these days." For now, it is the 'home' of the mp3 of Mom and Aunt Thelma singing.

I hope you enjoy it. It's part of the score for my life (minus the singing in Swedish - they used to do that, too, but it's not on this recording), and its message is one that echoes for me.

Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:
Your Protector never slumbers.
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

We've been listening to this song and these special singers every morning at the breakfast table after we read the Bible. I pray my children learn it, and that they also know it.

To my mother and my aunt, who not only sang these lyrics but lived the trust they describe, thank you, and I love you.