In My Heart There Rings A Melody

© Copyright 2013 PJ Stassen

All Rights Reserved

Look for me in the nurseries of Heaven.

- Francis Thompson, 1859-1907.

   My father-in-law used to be very fond of gospel music, loved the singing in church and always used to remind us that, in Eternity, we must look him up among the choirs, orchestras, bands and singers of Heaven. 

   A favourite cousin of mine, Piet Botha, who was suffering from diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease and whose feet both had to be amputated due to gangrene, eventually was left a helpless cripple,  only to pass away during August 2012.  My father-and-law and I then decided to drive all the way to Odendaalsrus in the Orange Free State (South Africa) to attend the funeral.

   On the way to that funeral I suddenly felt the urge to discuss with my passenger the strange fortunes of life.  I mentioned to him that every human being probably had, in an average lifetime, a certain number of funerals to attend, but that a certain point in time would one day inevitably arrive when, finally, one’s own funeral would dawn like a sudden and unwelcome guest.  I also stressed Charles Spurgeon’s classic remark that every Christian was practically invincible and immune against death until his/her work on Earth was finished.  

   It is said that when the famous composer Richard Wagner, during some nineteenth century war in Europe when he was admonished to take more care and present a smaller, more inconspicuous target to the sniping enemy, he replied: “Don’t worry … I’m a genius!”  

   “It would appear to me”, I said, “that each one of us had only so many funerals to attend and then finally … our own.” 

   Although this certainly may not have represented philosophy of the most profound and highest order (for one could still always have tried to avoid fate by staying away from funerals, which would not have worked, of course) my father-in-law, the gentleman that he was, nevertheless replied that it certainly was an interesting observation, but that it sure was a good thing that we didn’t know which funeral to attend was to be our last. Little did we know that that particular funeral was his last … he passed away the next January (2013) and is sorely missed.

        Thanks to the Prince of Life and conqueror of death, Jesus of Nazareth, we rejoice in the knowledge that death is but a transition to something and someplace much better than what we have here on Earth.  Spurgeon has said: “Death is not the end of living.  It is the end of dying.”

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In My Heart There Rings A Melody

(Elton M. Roth, 1891-1951)

I have a song that Jesus gave me

It was sent from Heav’n above;

There never was a sweeter melody,

‘Tis a melody of love.

I love the Christ who died on Calvary,

For He washed my sins away;

He put within my heart a melody,

And I know its there to stay.

‘Twill my be my endless theme in glory,

With the angels I will sing;

‘Twill be a song with glorious harmony,

When the courts of heaven ring.

CHORUS

In my heart there rings a melody,

There rings a melody with heaven’s harmony;

In my heart there rings a melody,

There rings a melody of love.

Piet Stassen

eLiterature/eLiteratuur:

1. Scribd Publishing Site:  www.scribd.com/PietStassen (ENGLISH & AFRIKAANS)
2. eBook: 'Evolution: The Science That Evolved Into A Fairy Tale' (ENGLISH)  
3. eBook:  'Bertrand Russell Revisited: Rebuttal Of Bertrand Russell's 'Why I Am Not A Christian''(ENGLISH)
4. eBook: 'Meditations & Contemplations: A Reader For Both Atheists And Creationists' (ENGLISH)
5. eBook: 'Conservation, Rhino Poaching And Hypocrisy' (ENGLISH)
6. eBook: 'Why Darwinism ('Evolution') Does Not Make Sense' (ENGLISH)
7. eBook: 'Names And Titles Of Jesus Of Nazareth (ENGLISH)'
8. eBoek:  'Darwin Of Christus: Suid-Afrikaners By 'n Kruispad!' [AFRIKAANS].
9. eBoek:  'Bevryding Van Die Anti-Evangelie Van Ateisme-Evolusionisme' [AFRIKAANS].
10. eBoek:  'Name & Titels Van Jesus Christus' [AFRIKAANS].
11. eTracts, Christian (Free, Downloadable):  Free, downloadable Christian eTracts for free distribution (ENGLISH)
12. eTraktate, Christelik (Gratis, Aflaaibaar): Gratis, aflaaibabre Christelike Traktate vir gratis verspreiding (AFRIKAANS)

Bibliography

1.     Andrews, Allen (1969) Quotations For Speakers And Writers. Newnes Books. Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. London.

2.     Peterson, John V. (1968) Great Hymns Of The Faith. ‘In My Heart There Rings A Melody’. Singspiration Inc. Zondervan Publishing House. Grand Rapids, Michigan.