When I was a boy my Grandma Smith was one of my favorite people in the world. She lived down the hill from me in a large farm house. I would walk down the field to visit her a few times a week. While I was there I would help her with whatever she was working on at the time. Planting geraniums in front of her house, hanging laundry, making sandwiches for the men working in the fields. Whatever she was doing she included me. She would also sing to me as we worked. She sang several songs, but my favorite, the one that stuck with me was "Trust and Obey." She sang the chorus:
Trust and obey, for there﨎 no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
When I was in fifth grade, one Sunday I was bored in church. I opened the hymnal and started leafing through. And that day I made an amazing discovery. Trust and Obey was more than just a chorus it was a full hymn. I was so excited by this I took the hymnal along home with me and memorized the whole song. When I was 12 I earned my music merit badge playing Trust and Obey on my trumpet. When I was 14 and became an Eagle Scout I had it sung at my Eagle ceremony(by Randy Ebersole). I loved that song.
When Shelly & I were planning our wedding, we both wanted to have our favorite hymn sang as part of our wedding. When I inquired what hymn she wanted sang she said "Trust and Obey" her favorite hymn.
So I thank Grandma Smith for her Trust And Obedience in God through her song and her everyday life. She was a great role model for me growing up. She hid truth in my heart through song.
These words have long been hidden in my heart and I doubt I will ever forget them or the lady that sang them to me.
I am smiling as I read your post because over Christmas I had a conversation with my Great Aunt Shirley and my grandmother and we decided we would start writing to each other. You know, good old fashioned pen pal stuff. Neither of them have email. I only see them a couple of times a year since they live in VT, so I am really excited about keeping in better touch with them. Family is so special, I am learning more and more to appreciate them now, while I can. (is this a sign of getting old) I have also been missing my Grandfather a lot lately. Yesterday, I received my Grandmothers response to my first letter and I have already written back. It's a Carpe Diem kind of thing.