Special Day

I don't feel good. Some kind of upper-respiratory infection. I got antibiotics today, so I'll get better soon. I don't feel very clever or literary, but I want to write about yesterday while it's still fresh on my mind.

The girls and I drove up to Conway Saturday, to be with my Mom at Bro. Dave's 20th Anniversary celebration. The day brought back so many memories! 21 years ago, when I was in college, our home church went through...well, my Mom calls it "labor pains," resulting in the birth of a new church on the west side of town. Around 200 people started meeting at a camp outside of town, named themselves Woodland Heights Baptist Church, bought land and started looking for a pastor. They ended up calling David Hatfield, and he's been there ever since. My dad was on the search committee, and yesterday at church we got to stand in his place with the other members of the search committee. Of the nine original members, 7 are still living. We also got to stand with charter members, and Jessica and Mikayla got to stand with those baptized in the church. There have been over 430 baptisms! (All McCoys were asked to stand, but there weren't any--the Hatfields have kept them away! Ha!)

Several different people spoke, and when one person was talking about how we're family, and have experienced life together--weddings, births, and deaths, of "good friends and children taken too early," I thought of my dad and started to cry. Then I looked around and saw another lady crying--her husband had been on the search committee, too, and he died a year ago that very day. Then I looked up in the choir, and saw another lady crying--her teenage son drowned at the city pool in June several years ago. And I thought about a friend of mine there whose father was dying of cancer, not expected to make it another day. But then the choir sang, "Favorite Song of All," and the mother who lost her child went from tears to huge smile, and I went from missing my Daddy to wanting to raise my hands in praise, and I thought, "How awesome and wonderful and powerful God is, who can turn our sorrow into joy, even on this side of Heaven!" And I thought about the amazing, complex, worldwide yet intimate family of God. It's not just sentimental talk, we really are family, and when we get it right, we're there for each other, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice. I love my family--earthly and spiritual!

In other news:
I saw a red fox at my Mom's house this morning!
The bank I passed on my way to the dr said "104 degrees."
I won the alphabet game on my way home when we passed the EZ Mart in Waldo.

He loves to hear the wind sing
As it whistles through the pines on mountain peaks
He loves to hear the raindrops
As they splash to the ground in a magic melody
He smiles in sweet approval
As the waves crash to the rocks in harmony
Creation joins in unity to sing to Him majestic symphonies

But His favorite song of all is the song of the redeemed
When lost sinners now made clean lift their voices loud and strong
When those purchased by His blood lift to Him a song of love
Nothing more He'd rather hear, nor so pleasing to His ear
As His favorite song of all

He loves to hear the angels as they sing, "Holy, holy is the Lamb"

Heaven's choirs in harmony lift up praises to the great "I Am"

But He lifts His hands for silence when the weakest saved by grace begins to sing

And a million angels listen as a newborn soul sings, "I have been redeemed"

It's not just melodies and harmonies that catches His attention

It's not just clever lines and phrases that causes Him to stop and listen

But when any heart set free, washed and bought by Calvary, begins to sing

That's His favorite song of all is the song of the redeemed

When lost sinners now made clean lift their voices loud and strong

When those purchased by His blood lift to Him a song of love

There's nothin' more He'd rather hear, nor so pleasin' to His ear

As His favorite song of all

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb

Halleluiah, halleluiah