"The Doxology"

I'm sitting at my kitchen table this morning listening to my newly "re-purchased" copy of Nicole Nordeman "Woven and Spun" (which I love by the way, lots of "good stuff"). I lost my original copy, the copy I kind of "confiscated" from my girl Abbi (sorry Ab, bet you don't remember the night you gave it to me, I do).

Song #10 is "Doxology." The beginning of the song is the very soft and reverent traditional version, Nicole singing a cappella, and then she goes on with her own modifications/additions as the song continues. (It's a great song, if you haven't heard it.)

What's your point Maulding?

In the "church" that I grew up in, every Sunday we ritualistically had "communion" which I didn't have any real understanding of. After doing so, each week, from the age of 6 until 17, I stood there in the pews and sang Doxology. But, again had no idea what I was saying. I was just singing some words somebody had put together, because that's what I was supposed to do. No significance, no realization of what those words could have meant to me or to those standing around me.

So again, this morning, I'm sitting here at the table, trying to catch up on some much tardy school work and this song comes on. I've heard it a zillion times because I've played the tar out of that CD, but I "heard" it this time. And these thoughts about "not hearing" just landed on me, how many other things am I "not hearing." More than I'd like to admit, that's how many.

I understand why I didn't "hear" the meaning of "The Doxology" before, for those first 17 years of my life, I didn't have the ability to do so. I was living a life without the source of that understanding, a life without Christ.

But, today and every day since August of 1995, by the grace of The God who chose me, I've had that source of understanding and thus, the ability "to hear" and more importantly to change.

So, now what's my excuse?

"Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."