Simple Gifts

Yesterday I bought my wife a harmonica.  She’s never really played an instrument before so she was very excited to try it out.  After learning “When the Saints Go Marching In,” which was included in the box, we worked out a little part for some worship songs and Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” and sat together playing music and singing.

Unfortunately the cat was very upset by the harmonica noise, and wailed desperately when C. played it, and when that failed to stop the noise she started sneaking up on us and biting our arms as a deterrent.  Laughing through the pain, we had such a joyful, simple evening that I had to write about it.  I’m so thankful for simple gifts.  They help cut through the hype we surround ourselves with and bring us close to the heart of God.

Simple Gifts: Harmonica and Guitar

          C         Am                C         Am
  3  3    4   4  -4  5   4     5 -5    6   6 -5   5
'Tis the gift to be sim-ple,'tis the gift to be free;

          Dm                G
 -4  4    -4  -4  -4    4   -4   5    -4  -3  3
'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be.

     C               Am              C           Am
 3   4   -3  4   -4   5   4   5 -5    6   6  -5   5
And when we find our-sel-ves in the place ju-st right,

       Dm        G           C    F      C
 -4 4  -4 -4 -4   5   5  -4   4   4   4   4
Twi-ll be in the val-ley of love and de-light.

      Am       C            Am
  6    5  -4   5  -5 5  -4   4
When true sim-pli-ci-ty is gained

              Am7        G
-4  5   5  -5   6 -5 5   -4   -4 5   -4
To bow and to bend w-e shan't be a-shamed.

   C       Am         C         Am
 3  4 -4    5   5 -5  6  6  -5   5
To tu-rn, turn wi-ll be our de-light,

         Dm        G7          C     F     C
 -4   4  -4  -4    5    5  -4  4     4     4
'Til by turn-ing, turn-ing we come 'round right.

C         Am                C         Am
3  3    4   4  -4  5   4     5 -5    6   6 -5   5
‘Tis the gift to be sim-ple,’tis the gift to be free;Dm                G
-4  4    -4  -4  -4    4   -4   5    -4  -3  3′Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be.

C               Am              C           Am
3   4   -3  4   -4   5   4   5 -5    6   6  -5   5
And when we find our-sel-ves in the place ju-st right,

Dm        G           C    F      C
-4 4  -4 -4 -4   5   5  -4   4   4   4   4
Twi-ll be in the val-ley of love and de-light.

Am       C            Am
6    5  -4   5  -5 5  -4   4
When true sim-pli-ci-ty is gained

Am7        G
-4  5   5  -5   6 -5 5   -4   -4 5   -4
To bow and to bend w-e shan’t be a-shamed.

C       Am         C         Am
3  4 -4    5   5 -5  6  6  -5   5
To tu-rn, turn wi-ll be our de-light,

Dm        G7          C     F     C
-4   4  -4  -4    5    5  -4  4     4     4
‘Til by turn-ing, turn-ing we come ’round right.

The Fall

C’s parents are in town this weekend, and today we went up to Dahlonega to enjoy the Autumn views up highway 115 (I’ve noticed that we go to Dahlonega every weekend, and take all our guests up there.  Good thing we like it, since our church is up there too).  Although I love being in nature in any weather, I’ve never really liked the Fall.  In Florida all it ever brought me was drizzle, a runny nose and 80* weather.  Few trees abscise since they’re mostly pine, and the oaks are all Live Oaks.  Florida has some great times of year, but Fall is not one of them.  I’ve visited places which had real seasons, but this is the first Autumn I’ve ever experienced from the beginning on through- and it’s incredible!

The sugar maples and white oaks are turning the mountains shades of crimson, honey and burgundy.  Woodpeckers, groundhogs (!), chipmunks and deer are highly active during the day, preparing for winter.  The sky is perpetually plowed clear by massive cold fronts, leaving a huge, high expanse of azure scored with pure white furrows.  The crisp clean air is a pleasure to breathe even when tinged with woodsmoke or the hint of far-off rain.  Every time I walk or look outside I just have to give thanks to God. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  God reveals so much to us about himself (and about our humble state) in the majesty of his creation, even though the Fall of nature has been so diminished by the fall of man.  When we look at the glory with which we’ve been surrounded, we have no excuse not to bow down and worship him who created it.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20