"...a song of praise is fitting"

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."  Psalm 147:3-4

These wonderful verses were part of my Scripture reading this morning...and I am experiencing the truth of them and thank God for His kindness to me.  In fact verse one of this Psalm opens this section with:

"Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;  
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting."

A year ago I was laid low with septicemia-a serious bacterial blood infection.  I needed to be hospitalized and stabilized with intravenous antibiotics. It attacked all my systems.  It was a nightmare for me, for Al and for my children who rallied around us stalwartly.  Then came the recovery time - forever, it seemed.  Among other things my garden suffered along with me.  I had no desire or energy to do a thing-just couldn't. I took these photos last June while still in our house to show the faithfulness of God.  I didn't do a thing about it and here was the color coming up beautifully to cheer and encourage me.

"And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

While growing up in my parents home my father made sure we had good classical music available.  He purchased Haydn's Creation early in our lives and we put those two LP's on Sunday after Sunday as we ate our noonday roast beef dinner, a large family around a large dining room table.  I also had the privilege of singing The Creation in our Bethel Choir, a  community choir conducted by Menno Neufeld, a tremendous musician, conductor, pianist and inspiration to hundreds of us who loved choral singing and also to pianists and vocalists.  Just this week my brother who inherited my Dad's extensive record collection blessed me with a cd of a copy of the original records we had.  As I type this I'm listening to the grand and glorious strains of:

  "The heavens are telling the glories of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork..." - all in German - just beautiful -and I'm transported to a time more than five decades ago!

I remember taking this photo through my dining room window little knowing that in just over two months we would have sold this lovely home with the beautiful garden which had blessed me so much over the 27 years of living there, and would be living on the 14th floor of our beautiful condo, with a new view.  Little too, did I realize that my dear Al would not be around to see another June.

Now my view would be severely diminished without Al's editorial help and my whole life would be so severely diminished without him.  And yet, "God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds".  Thank you for this promise Lord.