Imagine being 12 and in pain caused by an illness of uncertain origins. Imagine being the mother of said 12 yo. Imagine walking past her room and hearing the verses from "How Great Thou Art" floating softly into the hall. "Why are you singing," you ask. "Because there is nothing else to do," she replies. This incident is recalled in Dorcas Smucker’s book, Ordinary Days. She concludes that faith, finally, "consists of trusting when there are no easy answers, singing in the dark because there is nothing else to do, and finding it to be everything."

Some 15 years ago I was laid so low by recurrent illness that more than a few nights were spent propped on the couch wondering what the purpose of it all was. I had just before that been blessed with fervently Christian women who had introduced me to many new ideas. I was charting a new course in life. They had given me recordings of Christian music which filled the air through those long nights. Time slows to a crawl when you are counting every labored breath and it is tempting to wonder why. Also futile. In the end you are left with the choice to rebel or to sing.

Dorcas tells about an afternoon spent reading aloud to that daughter who was painstakingly working her way across her first rows of knitting. Her husband had taken her other children out for the day. She wondered if they would have had that opportunity to just sit, the two of them, had this illness left them any other choices. I know I would not have had hours on end to sit, captive, turning over the words sung by devout souls, thinking over their implications, if there had been anything else to do. Sometimes God does lay us down. Sometimes it isn’t until much later that we recognize those pastures as green.  Faith requires us to sing.

Her book is a delightful collection of essays about a woman whose life is so like mine, and yet so not like mine. It is full of my favorite things – random thoughts and quotes that make you smile such as: "It’s called ‘casserole,’ from which comes the Greek word for ‘Mennonite.’" There are serious reflections interspersed with lighthearted humor. Kind of like life. : ) I found she also has a blogspot and I have bumped it to the top of my ‘things to surf’ list whenever another free moment presents itself. Til then I am happy she wrote in short essays which I can squeeze into stolen bits of time throughout the day.

On a related note – as I come to the end of my lenten blog fast I see Elizabeth has a similar theme here. I wonder if when you talk with a dear friend on a daily basis you begin to think in step?  Or maybe that is how you become dear friends to begin with. <g>  As we find ourselves in the midst of dark nights of indecision I am so grateful for these messages. What is said about friends? "They know the song in your heart and can sing it for you when you forget the words." So sing. : ) If not just for you then for someone you know who cannot remember right now. Faith, and friendship, requires it.

Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? Mt 6:26