This is the fruit of a night's mopping, a reflection on Psalm 39:2-3 and a response to "O For A Thousand Tongues."
How dare I ask for extra tongues,
When my one tongue yet fails?
When all the breath that fills my lungs
Just silently exhales?
I know my Savior bought for me
The free but costly grace.
How ugly then that I should be
So stingy with my praise.
Lord, break my heart to mend my voice,
And stir with what must sting.
Lord, make me cry 'til I rejoice,
And shake me 'til I sing.
For when the instrument is dull
The artist must be sharp.
Lord strike me notes 'til I am full
And feel my tongue Your harp.
2 comments:
WOW!!!
Joel, that is simply an amazing offering to God.
I love it. Is this a song, and if so I want to know the tune so i can sing it to my kids.
It's a very strong poem on its own though. I love it.
Thank you, Josh. It can be sung to any tune in the Common Meter, like Azmon (O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing) or New Britain (Amazing Grace). If you have a hymnal at home there's probably an index in the back where the tunes are arranged by meter.
And on further reflection I think the next to last line of the last stanza should read "Lord strike me notes 'til I'm tuneful," instead of "'til I am full."
I love that you sing to your kids. They're richer for it. My children talk about being sung to by their Uncle Josh, though the songs they recall most fondly are somewhat less pious.
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