And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. —Colossians 3:17
Music has always played an important role in my life. My maternal grandparents’ families were well known for their musical abilities. Having come from musical parents—mostly my mother—my five siblings and I performed at churches and missions from the time we were small.
In the summer of 1967, I was sitting in a large auditorium in Winona Lake, Indiana. The session was the Morning Bible Hour for the National Youth for Christ Annual Conference. A young man and woman from Washington, D.C. stepped to the microphone to sing a duet. Their voices and blend were terrific, and sitting there, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful and poised the girl was. I figured she was probably “taken” by the boy she was singing with. I was wrong. In 1970, two and a half years later, I married Bobbie Gardner, the pretty singer from our nation’s capital.
With all of this musical heritage, our children were destined to have music surround their lives, and it has. Our family has enjoyed all kinds of music together. From the time they were small, my late wife and I taught our children little tunes. Traveling in the car on family vacations created moments to learn songs. We bought all kinds of recorded children’s music, and they played the recordings over and over (and over) again.
When our granddaughter turned two, her mom, my daughter Missy, called me on the telephone. “Hi, Daddy,” she said. “Abby has something she wants to sing for you.” She handed the phone to little Abby who sang the “Happy Birthday” song, including every word and every note. It was one of those moments. Music has made it to the next generation, I thought as I said goodbye on the phone that day.
Now there’s a dimension to all this music memorabilia I haven’t mentioned. It’s something the apostle Paul told the church in Colossae many centuries ago: “Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (v. 16). Beginning with my mother’s parents and cascading down through my own parents and my wife, I have learned about God through music.
Some of this learning has come from contemporary songwriters, but most of it has been seared into my heart by way of classic hymns such as “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” “O Worship the King,” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Our daughters even walked down the aisle at their weddings to “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation” and “Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart.” Because my parents made it a priority, these great hymns have poured sound theology into my soul. So we passed it on to our own children who are doing the same.
Your voice doesn’t have to be worthy of a microphone or recording contract for you to give your children the gift of music. There are many others who do have the talent who can come alongside you to help. Securing those downloads and encouraging your child to learn about your heavenly Father through this powerful medium will be an investment that will last forever. The last time we sang hymns with my dad’s mother, she was 103 years old. She remembered all the words. Especially the ones she had memorized as a youngster.
Don’t miss this chance to let your heart and your home be God’s forever dwelling place.