Sing a New Song

I was hanging out with Payton and Liam this week. We were riding in the car and I was talking about all the night sounds I had heard the night before. I told them all the frogs and crickets were singing. Liam asked what song they sang. I laughed and made what I thought were good bullfrog noises and weird chirps and croaks.

The sun is heralding the new day and the birds are getting louder and louder. Liam’s question came to mind and I wondered what the birds were singing about? Is Mrs. Sparrow talking to Mr. Sparrow about what they must accomplish today? Is Mr. Grackle and Mrs. Grackle coaxing the children to eat their breakfast? Is the Swallow family undertaking the mad dash to get to church on time?

Somehow I don’t think the other species of the earth hold those concerns. I imagine their songs are more joyous and full of praise and wonder of the sun warming their nests, and the gift of a temperate morning in the middle of July.

In a Bible study a few weeks ago we talked about the scripture from the Psalm 96:1 – Sing a New Song to the Lord. This statement appears nine times in the Bible. A call to sing new praise to God. A call to sing a new song. That is a call to a song that has not been sung before - a “new” song. What “new” song are we called to sing? How are we called to change and transform to recognize the power and beauty of God’s love and presence in our lives?

How do we write the new music of our lives? What will come from our souls in praise to God? We must open our hearts to a new tune, melody, and chorus. The habitual songs are relegated for another day as we explore the new song of praise, wonder, and appreciation.  

As this Sabbath day unfolds I pray God writes a new song upon your heart. I pray his grace illuminates a new vision, experience, understanding that bursts forth a joyous praise never heard before. The new song of your life written in praise of God.

Happy Sabbath! 

Ann

Truing

I bought a bike to ride around the neighborhood.  I have always loved biking and thought my biking days were over when I explored riding 8 miles to work. This endeavor into health and frugality left my knee screaming loudly in painful bursts, why?  I learned the importance of proper
alignment and adjustment of the seat, handlebars, and pedals. This is essential to prevent unwelcome 
berating from the body that can only be quieted by large dosages of Tylenol and Advil. Proper technique goes a long way to keep the body happy. It requires not only pushing the pedals, but lifting as well. Using both the back and front of the thigh, and the calves. 

My new bike arrived quickly delivered in Amazon fashion to my front door and delivered by Sean my UPS man. It was wrapped with great care and before too long it looked like a bicycle should. Shiny black with white wall tires this seven speed cruiser was going to carry me through the rural scenery of corn and beans. All adjustments made I was ready to go. It felt like I lived on one big hill, constantly pushing and slowly struggling to move down the road. Inhaler at the ready puff after puff was needed. I must be really out of shape. After several adventures on the bike being left in the dust by Ron, I began to think maybe it was the bike and not my athletic deficits. Any justification as this point would be welcome.

I Googled "why is my bike hard to pedal" and came up with a short list of brakes,bearings, and derailleur issues to check out. So with an allen wrench and other tools I approached my beautiful torture machine. The front brakes were tight upon the rim. While able to turn the wheel, it was not free and not true. It rubbed against the brakes. Justification!!  Now I was no longer pathetic, but empowered to think I rode miles with this added tension. I raise my arms in flexed victory to my bold pursuit of strength.

I tried to adjust the brakes. To no avail I could not get a good stopping result, lever control, and free wheel. Back to Google revealed the information of spoke wrenches, and the engineering of the wheel. Spokes run on each side of the rim to the hub. When in proper alignment and tension they make a wheel true, or balance side to side, and round. When not in proper tension the wheel will waver side to side and rub on the brakes. This adjustment requires a spoke wrench so the nipple does not get stripped and proper adjustments can be made easily. When proper tension is achieved the wheel runs true or straight.

Recently I was reading Titus for a Bible study. I was intrigued to find that the meaning of the term self control is not about abstinence from all things deemed wicked by the fundamental church. It is about running true and in a divine balance. The meaning is about safe inner outlook. biblehub.com   It is all about living with a divine outlook and it is personal. To run "true" is not the same for everyone. God meets us all differently and so if we look at humanity as one giant wheel each spoke is adjusted into its own unique tension. If we look at this individually we each need to have every spoke of our lives in proper balance. With God our hub each element must be adjusted for us to run true. As we ride down the road it isn't about brute strength. We must evaluate our path and the elements on it and adjust accordingly. Using the tools of wrenches and nipple keys we tighten and loosen each spoke in order to run true. We evaluate through prayer and scripture and as in most things experimentation what keeps each of us in balance with God and the world "around" us. 

As this Sabbath begins with foggy insistence with the humidity high and the temperatures destined to be higher I pray balance. I pray a day where God, praise, and thanksgiving give rise the rest of soul and body and an inner outlook sets you on the true path and an easier ride.

Ann