Today at church, the choir sang one of my favorite songs, "Consider the Lilies". It is based on what the Savior said in Matthew 6:
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, if ye are not of little faith?
These verses have always held a very special place in my heart - they definitely helped to shape my faith as I was growing up. I love the message of those verses - it is a beautiful promise from the Lord. The Lord is always aware of us and watching over us. If we have faith, the Lord will bless us. I especially love the sweet simplicity of the comparison the Lord makes with lilies. It helps me to think about that when I'm struggling or worried - that the Lord watches over every living thing, great and small and so surely He will help me. That comparison helps me put things in perspective and reminds me of the great love that the Lord has for all His children.
But back to today: I've heard the song dozens and dozens of times before, but one particular verse stood out to me as the choir sang and touched me like never before - it was as if I was hearing it for the first time:
"Consider the sweet, tender children
Who must suffer on this earth...
The pains of all of them he carried
From the day of his birth.
He clothes the lilies of the field,
He feeds the lambs in His fold,
And he will heal those who trust him,
And make their hearts as gold."
I was completely overcome by those words. I know that the "children who must suffer on this earth" can be talking about a lot of different situations. But, my mind was particularly drawn to Elena and all the "suffering children" I've met over the last year+ in the cancer community and at the hospital with various diseases and illnesses. What a beautiful thought - that the Savior has borne their pains and that He will heal them. That healing might be a physical healing while they are on this earth or it might not be physical healing in this life, but a healing of troubled minds and souls with His peace.
What comfort and much-needed strengthening of my faith these words brought to me! It has been a tough few weeks in our little childhood cancer community - two deaths, another young man who has been put on hospice and only expected to live for another two weeks at the most, and the sweetest little baby you'd ever meet in the PICU very, very sick. Not to mention all the others just doing the "normal" battle at home and in the hospital. I love all these kindred spirits and their families and my heart has been heavy thinking about all they are going through. It is hard to think of them suffering so much. And so the timing of our choir singing these words was so perfect - a tender mercy to a mind and heart that have been weighed down. What a sweet message about the Lord's tender love for His children and a reminder that He holds all things in His hands - especially His little ones.
6 comments:
What a beautiful thought. Thanks for sharing. :)
Thank you for sharing, I love it. Sometimes I get stuck thinking about how unfair it is that people have to suffer so much in this life, but it's nice to know that the Lord is aware of us, even when things are impossibly hard.
i love that song! back when i was single (i think) i went to a fireside given by the guy who wrote it. it was so touching to hear what a deep spiritual experience it was for him. he mentioned several times that the words and music came as pure inspiration-- not from him, but from Heavenly Father. i remember him talking about getting to the last verse and feeling like he should talk about the suffering children-- but then not knowing where to go from there. he didn't have an answer for why children suffer or how that is ever okay. but then, he talked about how the spirit overcame him and he was given the words of the last refrain-- and he knew that through Christ and His healing, all would be well-- eventually if not in this life.
thanks for sharing, briana. i loved hearing this song and thinking about it once again.
Briana, your words make me sob, In a good and heartfelt way. Our Savior really does "consider the children". THANK YOU for sharing your testimony through this post and beautiful hymn. THANK YOU!
A Sister sang that song in our ward too. What an incredible message. The atonement of Jesus Christ really is amazing. Thanks for sharing your testimony with us!
We actually sang that song in our choir on Easter Sunday. It was the day after Sister Roach passed away, and her family was in attendance. More than one commented that they felt it was just for them. I do love the song.
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