Inspiration

My grandma asked me to play at my grandpa's funeral next week.  I'm so honored.  I know that I received whatever musical gifts I possess from my grandparents. 

So, for the past few days I've really been struggling with knowing what to play.  I've played at my mother's parent's funerals in the past couple of years, and have always known exactly what to play.  In fact, my dad and I disagreed on what to play at my grandma's funeral, but when he heard the song I thought was more appropriate, he agreed.  It turned out that my grandma's son from a previous marriage played the saxophone when he was younger and the song I'd played was the first song he'd ever played for her.

I asked my dad for advice on what I should play, and he told me to play through the pieces I have and grandpa would let me know. 

I played through the arrangements of sacred music I have, and thought I had found the right piece to play.  I've played it before at a stake music fireside...it's a medley of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," "Our Savior's Love," and "The Lord is My Shepherd."  I even copied the accompaniment part and sent it off to my cousin who will be playing with me.  After I put the music in the mailbox, I realized that it just wasn't the right one.  It would do, and would have been fine, but it wasn't perfect.

During dialysis on Thursday, the song "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" came into my mind.  I have always loved the melody, and have heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing it several times.  I knew the lyrics, but not well.  I was going on the melody alone.  The song just wouldn't leave my thoughts.

Thursday and Friday I searched and searched for a good arrangement online.  I found several pieces arranged for voice, for piano and other adaptations, but none of them were right.  I finally found a songbook of pieces performed by Jenny Oaks Baker, a LDS violinist.  It had seven sacred pieces, including "Come Thou Fount."  I listened to her perform it on YouTube, and fell in love.

This morning, I realized that I hadn't really read the lyrics, so I looked them up online.  After reading them, I realized that there was a reason this song is the right one.  The lyrics are my grandpa's testimony.

1. Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

3. Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

4. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

I can't tell you how grateful I am for inspiration from my grandpa on choosing just the right song to honor him.  As I said before, after reading the lyrics, I KNOW that this is what he wants.  I hope to perform it next Saturday in a manner worthy of his love.