Singing In Our Sorrow

“I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praises to my God as long as I live. May my thoughts please him; I am happy in the Lord….My whole being praise the Lord." Praise the Lord.” Psalm 104:33-35

I walked with a dear friend this past week and her family as she prepared to take the journey to heaven. My heart was filled with sorrow and singing at the same time. Nancy was given the gift of singing and she sang her entire life. Her voice glorified God and she is now singing with the angels. Nancy always said, “God loaned me the gift and I will use it as long as I’m here.” Nancy sang every day of her life to God, and sometimes she allowed others to hear her praises besides God.

I met Nancy through the church I served and heard her sing solos and sing at funerals. Her sister was my special friend who had “adopted” me as her granddaughter. When Nancy’s sister, Ruth, died last year, I spent more time with Nancy through phone calls and home visits. Several visits took place with me sitting on the side of her bed. We laughed until we cried, we talked and shared the intimacy of God’s spirit. Nancy shared the depth of her heart with me, and I treasure her trust in me.

The last song Nancy sang for me was “Jesus Loves Me.: She was in rehab and having a difficult time, but her voice was strong and clear. She sang to glorify God that day even during her struggle. How appropriate that she sang of Jesus’ love for her. Jesus lived in Nancy’s heart and her singing expressed her deep love for her Lord and Savior. Many people who knew Nancy knew her as the one who sang the solos of “O, Holy Night” on Christmas Eve and “Were You There” on Good Friday with an amazing operatic voice. In her older years, she was know as Nancy would state - “the old lady who sings.”

Nancy was given the gift of singing and her legacy is that she used God’s voice to sing until He called her home. Throughout my ministry, I have sung with those who are dying especially during my time with hospice. I would sit at bedside and sing with families all the old hymns of faith. Before my dad died, we sang with a dear friend, Carl, around his bed all his favorite songs. We played my mom’s favorite songs as she went through the dying process.

Music has been part of my healing on my own journey of grief. I have found songs that have expressed my emotions and played them over and over. I have been able to release so many emotions through the words and music of songs. I have also found songs that have given me the ability to rejoice knowing my loved one is now in heaven. My mom’s favorite hymn was “Victory In Jesus.” Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, death has been conquered and there is victory in Jesus as our loved ones enter into heaven.

When we celebrate the life of our loved ones, our hearts are filled with sorrow at our own loss, but we also sing and rejoice that they are in heaven singing with the angels. I still cry every time I sing the third verse of “Victory In Jesus” because I miss my mom and all those who hold a special place in my heart.

Heaven is filled with more laughter and singing because Nancy has entered into the joy of Jesus’ presence. I will celebrate her life and sing with tears at her celebration of life. Our hearts can sing in the sorrow knowing we are singing to the One who gives us hope of eternal life and who holds us close in our grief.

Let us sing with tears of sorrow and of joy!

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.” Psalm 116:15