The Chronicles of Amazing Mema! #6

Amazing Mema has always been an avid lover of music - all kinds of music. She was always singing and dancing around. She has told me many times that when she was a young girl her uncles would give her a nickel to sing and dance for them and she was always happy to oblige. On June 14, 1994 she wrote this in her journal -

"There are optimistic feelings in great music, melodies that lend full bodied sound of hope and enjoyment. They seem to give an irresistible feeling of inspiration to positive thoughts, defiant hope and a warm sense of well-being. The world can't be too bad with such richness and talent in it. The most incredible thing to me is all music comes from one scale, DO-RE-MI-FA-SOL-LA-TI-DO. Our family likes to sing together."

On Thanksgiving Day in 1996 she wrote these words -

"Many exciting events have come our way and the family in our house have enjoyed every kind of music. Singing as a family has been a large tradition for us all. In the 70's Harold bought me a huge piano that I never learned to play, just couldn't seem to learn the rudiments of it all. I only sing by ear and one of my cousins, a music professor at Murray State, told me once that is the best kind. So, now I own a harmonica that was my Mom's, a dulcimer that was made by one of my friends and an old guitar I bought from a lady in Marshall County. This guitar was played by her from early childhood and she is now 85 years old.
It takes me back to my early years when Jimmy Rodgers was a big recording artist. I was 8 years old in 1927 when I first heard his recordings on the radio. He went to Washington DC and played with the Carter family. His records exploded the city. He was a yodler and made 13 of those kinds of records. People everywhere knew his music and he only knew three cords, just like me.
I remember in 1933 he collapsed during a recording session and at age 35 the "TB Blues" took him away. My old guitar is a LYRA and I'm sure it dates back to the days of Jimmy Rodgers, which I do remember well because we played his records on our phonograph in the 20's and 30's. What wonderful memories."

Since Mom lived many years on Elizabeth St in Paducah and they were only a few blocks away from the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers, they were able to see and hear the old paddle wheelers that were constantly coming and going within easy walking distance of their home. On March 13, 1990 she wrote -

"In Paducah, Ky at the foot of Broadway our family always rushed to see the showboats and sat on the bank of the Ohio river to listen to the steam caliope. The rivers were an exciting place to be in the 1920's. We could hear the Keyboard Whistler from our home and couldn't wait to get down to Broadway to see the big boat and listen to the music machine."

Now at age 91+, she is still singing sometimes, but not so much in the last year or two. She was always an entertainer, the life of every party, and I see that same trait in her granddaughters and great-granddaughters. Music is still an integral part of our family thanks to my Dad, who all the kids only knew as 'Frosty', and Amazing Mema. They created a family heritage that will be duplicated for many generations to come.

THE RESTORATION OF JOY

Joy is always fragile. But, the human spirit is resilient, even in the face of scary circumstances. For me, my faith is the basis of that resiliency because I always know the Spirit of my Father is my constant defender. That doesn't mean I never experience times of anger or fear or doubt, but they are always short lived. I've learned that like all the human family, I always go in the direction of my dominant thought. And, I can choose my own thoughts.
David sang, "Have mercy on me O Lord, for to you I call all day long. Bring joy to your servant for to you I call all day long. Bring joy to your servant for to you O Lord, I lift up my soul." Psalm 86:3-4 NIV
David made a choice and it wasn't to wallow in self pity or anger or fear. That only takes one into a dark place which will fill up the empty spirit. He chose to cry out to God for mercy in the sure knowledge that only God could give him back the joy that others had sucked out of his spirit.
Paul and Silas were arrested in Philippi for casting a demon out of a young girl who was being exploited by ruthless men too lazy to make an honest living. Paul put up with Satan's diversion for a time, but when it became a distraction from the good news he was trying to share, he took action against the one he knew was the enemy. The jailer was instructed to put them in stocks and tucked them away in the inner prison. Then he went home to his family to have dinner. At midnight, he and the entire prison population were awakened by singing. His prisoners were singing praises to God and were actually released from their bonds by the God they were worshiping. So was the jailer and his entire household, released from their bondage to sin.
It is quite possible that the praises they were singing to God was David's Psalm 86. I love that thought even though it is only speculation. Our God is like that. Even after a severe beating and threats of worse punishment, two faithful men refused to allow Satan to win by stealing their joy. HALLELUJAH!