Songs for the Journey Home

On Mama's last day, we sang. We sang our pain and we sang our joy. We sang for God and we sang for our family. It was a defining time, defining us as people of God and as people of a clan. We sang until our voices and our spirits were exhausted. Between verses, we talked and ate fried chicken and vegetable soup and lots of other treats that I can't remember.

We sang in vigil. Every hum and tune and lyric was a prayer to the heavens that Mama be accepted into God's presence and that the whole of her life be a blessing to God and that the burden of her journey be light. We sang loudly and we sang softly. We sang though tears and we sang through fits of laughter. We sang every song that came to mind. We searched the 1982 Hymnal and Lift Every Voice and Sing II and the back corners of our minds and of course . . . the internet . . . to find the words and the tunes.

Oh, God so blessed us that day. I promised Mama one night as she was going to bed, that God would heal ALL of us. The songs for her journey home healed us that day. Those songs blessed us, making straight Mama's path and our own. Those songs were so spontaneous and raw and pure like the waters of baptism, making us and Mama new and whole.

Here are a few of the songs we sang, as my memory will allow (some listed by first line for recognition)

This is the Day The Lord Has Made

The Johnny Apple seed blessing

The Doxology

I'll Fly Away

A closer Walk with Thee

Seek Ye First

The Saints Go Marching In

Do Lord

It is Well with My Soul

Amazing Grace

Father I Adore You

Have You Seen Jesus My Lord

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

A mighty fortress is our God

Be thou my vision

Christ the Lord is risen today

I am the bread of life

Just as I am

Lift every voice and sing

Lift high the cross

Stand up, stand up for Jesus

I want to walk as a child of the light

How Great Thou Art

Sweet Hour of Prayer

Nearer, My God to Thee

Forgive us Mama, we also sang Tramp on the Street . . . for ol' times sake : )