Amazing Grace

I bought some wind chimes and on the box it said they were tuned to the notes of Amazing Grace.  I hear those chimes now blowing in the breeze outside and am reminded of the song.  I love that song.  I have always loved that song and I think most people do.  I love when my piano students learn to play it, because it has triplets in it.  I hear it a lot.  I heard it sung at Harry Mosher's funeral on Monday.  Bagpipes also played it at the grave site.   The sweet, reassuring sound that is an ancestral memory of where we came from...Scotland.  We could hear the bagpipes in the distance and it lead us to the grave. When the service at the grave was over there was a 21 gun salute and it scared Tauna's baby and he cried. Then the bagpipes played Amazing Grace again, then the Caisson Song, then a traditional Scottish song.  As the piper played the last song, he walked slowly from the grave site, and we listened to him again as he faded into the distance.

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that sav’d a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found, t'was blind but now I see. 


The other verses:

T’was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears reliev’d,

How precious did that grace appear, the moment I first believ’d.

Thro many dangers, toils, and snairs, I have already come

Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis’d good to me, His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease;

I shall possess within the veil, a life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine

But God who call’d me here below, will be forever mine.

I love the second verse about fear, because I have been so fearful of things in my life and fear has been my companion for a long time. You know what?  It just isn't worth the worry.  Either it will happen or it won't and it isn't worth the worry and the health problems that stem from worry and stress.  The statistic is that 85% of what we worry about never happens.  "Mark Twain said: My life has been filled with calamities, some of which actually happened. We laugh at this because we identify with it.  There seems to be nothing more fictitious than the worry that goes on in our heads"  (http://donjosephgoewey.com/worry-the-fiction-that-rarely-happens/).

So my thought of the day is...just let it go.  It doesn't matter.  Don't give your happy tickets for the day away to someone or something that doesn't deserve them.   Put on some uplifting music.  Shake that mood.  Find a place inside yourself that can get rid of the worry and stress that wants to overwhelm you and me.  Think of that place you love to go.  My place is the garden in Tabiona.  I can feel the stress and worry drain from me when I mentally open the garden gate and walk into the peace of the garden.  I am barefoot and dirt squishes between my toes.  I have a white eyelet sundress on and a big rimmed straw hat.  The breeze blows and rustles the plants and my dress swirls around my legs.  I can hear sheep and cows in the distance.  I have no need to worry.  I am blessed by His amazing grace.  I am home.