heritage

Picture it: Anaheim, 2010. I'm babysitting. It's a rainy morning, and both of the kids are taking naps. I wander over to the CD player and I come across this CD:

Hmmm. Hymns. Looks promising. I put the CD in, and walk around the room, looking at the collection of heirlooms and old family photographs that cover every available surface.

The CD is very mellow piano hymns. Perfect for a rainy day. As I look around, my eyes light upon a photograph of a woman on her wedding day. Sepia-toned. Probably early 1900s. She's very beautiful, and she has this look of contentment that seems to radiate from her. As if on cue, "Be Thou My Vision" comes on the CD.

I begin to think about this woman and what her life was like. She must have known Jesus. "Be Thou My Vision" is one of my favorite songs and has been of great comfort to me personally. I wonder what songs this woman listened to. Reason #523 I love hymns: she probably did sing "Be Thou My Vision" in church, and it was probably as comforting to her as it is to me. This woman probably had the same insecurities and struggles that I do.

I love this heritage we have in the faith, this "great cloud of witnesses." Standing there looking at that photograph, with "Be Thou My Vision" playing and the soft sound of rain on the roof, I felt a warm feeling wrap around me. God was the same for this woman as he is for me: a close and dear friend.

It was a weird moment to have while babysitting, but I guess in those rare moments of quiet we're more receptive to that still, small voice.