I get chills and can barely choke out the words whenever we sing this hymn.
[there are tons of versions of this song, but this was the one that most satisfied my inner church lady... plus, holy moly, it is beautiful and you can really see the joy on everyone's faces as they sing.]
Lyrics:
My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation,
I hear the sweet, tho’ far-off hymn
That hails a new creation;
Thro’ all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?
What tho’ my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What tho’ the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
Since first I learned to love it;
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am his—
How can I keep from singing?
Those are the original lyrics as published in 1868, I think in a lot of the modern versions some of the words get rearranged or substituted.
When I find myself overwhelmed with life, stress, housework, cat litter needing to be changed, friends to be phoned, work to be done, etc. etc. etc., songs like this one remind me that there is joy and love and gratefulness in everything.
