When Your Soul Needs a New Song to Sing
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I go all out with indoor garland, lights, holiday-themed pillows, trees, Christmas quilts on the beds, cookies in multiple shapes, and more. I am one of those people who continue to add twinkle lights on shelves and bookcases right up to the actual day of Christmas. “More is better” is my holiday mantra. I absolutely love this time of the year… and yet...
No matter how much we love the season and the “reason for the season” – Jesus, our Lord and Savior – we sometimes struggle with the burdens of overwhelm, family brokenness, financial stress, and grief. I am no stranger to the less festive feelings this season can bring. Christmas comes and goes, then a new year begins. But, oh, the feelings.
Perhaps you are all too familiar with these feelings, too. Maybe your family has had a great year, your children are thriving, your career is on top of the world; but your best friend betrayed you, your co-worker stole from you, or someone you loved decided they no longer loved you. And your heart hurts for what was and what could have been.
Some life markers cut so deep you can’t help but relive the circumstances each year when the anniversary of that fateful day arrives. This I know all too well. As November 30th approaches each year, I am reminded of my father’s death. The day he chose to end his life for reasons none of us understood. Each year on that day, my heart feels a fresh grief that becomes quieter with the passing years yet remains because love never dies.
On that day, my soul feels a silent song rising to heaven as I thank God for giving me the father He did. An earthly father who was not perfect, but who did the best he could and brought joy and an easy laugh to those he loved.
What does your heart feel as we celebrate the birth of Christ and the hope of new beginnings in the New Year? Is your soul filled with the joy of the Lord, or are you searching for a new song to sing because recent months and years have challenged you in ways you never imagined?
Often when life feels overwhelming to me, I think of Horatio Spafford, author of “It is Well,” and his wife, Anna, who lost their five children in approximately three years. Their son died of scarlet fever and all four daughters, ages 2 to 11, drowned when the ship they were sailing on (with Anna) to England sank.
Horatio immediately boarded a ship and sailed to England to be with his wife; and when the ship was over the very place his daughters had perished, the captain of the ship summoned Horatio to share it with him. It is said that Spafford returned to his cabin that day and wrote, “It is well with my soul.”
Anna later testified that in her grief she heard a soft voice saying to her, “You were saved for a purpose,” and she remembered a friend saying to her, “It’s easy to be grateful and good when you have so much (for Anna and Horatio were very wealthy), but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God.”
Horatio and Anna had three more children, a boy and two girls, but the boy died at the age of four. The following year Horatio and Anna moved from the U.S. to Jerusalem and spent the rest of their lives helping the poor, caring for the sick, and taking in homeless children. They experienced so much loss and grief, yet they praised the LORD and continued to serve Him all the days of their lives.
Their testimony is a reminder to me of the power of God’s love for us and ours for Him. As Job lost his children, his livestock, and all he owned and yet praised the LORD, Horatio and Anna lost six of their eight children and still found the strength to serve God anyway and praise His Name through that service.
They found the secret to overcoming despair by replacing the sadness in their souls with a new song, a song of sacrifice and trust, to the LORD who comforts and restores our joy. And the LORD used them in a mighty way to bless many people in Jerusalem and share the gospel with them.
Their story causes my heart to remember Psalm 138, verse 5: “Yes, they will sing about the LORD’s ways, for the glory of the LORD is very great.” And what is the glory of the LORD but His presence, His power, and His goodness? The LORD causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) Horatio and Anna dearly loved the LORD and allowed Him to change their grief to gladness as they served the people of Jerusalem.
Psalm 40:3 states, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.”
Amazingly, God put a new song in Horatio’s heart that has led believers for more than 150 years to sing “It is well with my soul.” Despite grief and pain and sadness that sometimes accompany the holiday season, God can put a new song in our souls and fill our hearts with the peace that passes all understanding.
And that is worth celebrating. God’s love and ability to transform pain into purpose and sadness into a new song. A song that fills the hearts of those around us with hope and healing and joy for tomorrow; because as long as we are here on the earth, God has a purpose for our lives too. The testimony you are living is intended to guide others toward faith and trust in God.
Those who have heard my testimony over the years have heard of the many tragic losses I, too, have experienced in my life. For decades I was at a loss to understand why God would allow so much tragedy to affect my life. Then, one day, God sent my first children’s book to me in a still, soft voice. As the words poured into my mind, I scribbled feverishly on a pad of lined paper; and while I didn’t understand yet what He was about to do, He changed my life that day and transformed my path from that of a financial planner to a scribe, an author of inspirational books.
God gave me a new song to sing that day and a new path to walk with His voice leading me all the way. And I have never looked back or pined for what was because what He gave me in exchange for what I had is far better. The tragedies of life led me to a passion to know God and heaven and the many creative ways I can help others to draw near to Him too. I am so excited to know I will be in heaven with Him one day! Until then, I have work to do, and so do you.
If you need a new song in your soul this year, remember Horatio and Anna. Remember God who gave His only begotten Son to save us from sin. And remember the joy of the LORD and trust that He has a new song for you to sing. He knows the words you need to hear. He holds your heart close to His. Draw near to Him and listen for His voice. He has something to share with you.
If you are searching for a collection of songs to lift your soul today, listen to Last Best Year – Songs of Gratitude on Spotify and be greatly blessed. You may even start to dance!
And if you’re curious about the picture book God first spoke to my subconscious when He called me to be an author, it is titled Your Home in Heaven. Within its pages, the book shares about Jesus preparing our home in heaven while, at the same time, preparing us for the day we meet Him there. Children love imagining their own home in heaven. At the end are Discussion Questions to prompt conversation about heaven with your children.
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Home-Heaven-Donna-Wyland/dp/1649490852/ref
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I’d love to know how God has changed your life and given you a new song to sing. Email me to share your story donna@donnawyland.com.
With gratitude to God who gives the best gifts,
Donna
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