“We write to taste life twice,
in the moment and in retrospection”
~Anais Nin
~Anais Nin
FAll 1950
Westmont bound
healing begins
I left for Westmont in Santa Barbara that September, glad to escape the terrible grief and sadness which permeated our home after our little David's early Home going.
Arriving on campus was a little like a foretaste of Heaven. True healing began as I found myself in the arms of a wonderful Christian atmosphere, which bathed me in love, prayer, God's righteousness, and so many blessings.
The friendships I formed at Westmont were deep and still strong today.
One of the things we did at Westmont was sing. We sang in dinner lines, we gathered in the lounge after dinner and sang, we had 'sings', we went to the beach and ended up singing. I learned that year that music is a 'balm' to the soul.
Our freshman class song was "Living for Jesus".
As I sang that song again and again throughout that year, the Spirit softened my heart, and I learned to rejoice, again, in who I was in Christ. I have no words to explain the heights and depths of my emotions that year as I fell in love with Jesus Christ with so much more depth than I had ever experienced!
How could I sing the chorus from my heart
Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
without life changing happenings in my heart and life?
...and then, there was the first verse which I soon could honestly sing and mean every breath of what I was singing!
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
It was a year of
beautiful experiences,
beautiful friendships,
beautiful memories,
amazing healing,
amazing healing,
and
life changes which have been with me through out my life!
*******
a postscript--today's Daily Bread had this quote at the bottom
"A heart in tune with God can't help but sing His praise."
a postscript--today's Daily Bread had this quote at the bottom
"A heart in tune with God can't help but sing His praise."
6 comments:
Precious reflections, Joan. It's as though a gateway was opened for you, and an unseen Hand gripped yours to lead you through to a sunnier land. No wonder your heart if so filled with warmth.
I know the gateway and the Hand. It is why we proclaim, "I could never be the same."
Blessings,
Kathleen
AS I READ THE words of the song, I could almost hear the harmonious blending--of those young beautiful voices--having come from Churches where singing was still a major part of the Service and of Young People's Groups and yes--Parties. Families sang around the piano, too!
Whatta Memory Chorus in my head!!
THANX,
Els
Wow! Thanks for sharing such beautiful memories... and how God can use music as a balm for healing.
And I love the quote by Anais Nin!
Love the quote. And I agree with you -- the older I get, the less I feel a need to change the past (although I certainly would NOT want to relive it).
I also sang a ton as a young Christian (still do), but recall that time had such a sweetness, a balm to my soul really. And to think the Lords sings over us!
I followed you here from my cousins blog. Amazing Trips...
Very nice post...very nice indeed!
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