Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father.
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness.
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
– Great is Thy Faithfulness, Thomas Obadiah –
I have a fond childhood memory of attending a small country church while visiting relatives. It was a Baptist church which held both Sunday morning and evening services. We were attending the evening service with about 50 worshippers. As we were singing a vibrant, old gospel hymn, an older gentleman behind us had a little coughing spell. Instead of joining the rest of us in the verse of the hymn, he chose to pick up where he left off. Myself and the other children giggled as this gent continued singing even though the rest of us had finished. The pastor and other adults smiled and waited patiently until he completed his singing. He was hard of hearing and never really knew how far off from the other singers he was. I later learned this was a weekly ritual in this congregation. Years later, I admire this devout church goer for his persistence in honoring God in song and making up for lost beats and text. A determination to get to the finish line, so to speak.
Many times we hear the familiar phrase “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Talking or dreaming about changes can be exciting and sometimes even terrifying. But it’s those comfort zones that hinder our desire or need to change. Change requires planning, faith, courage, and definitely persistence. So, don’t “put off tomorrow what you could do today.” Go ahead, volunteer for that charitable organization, begin that exercise program, clean out that garage, travel somewhere you’ve never been. Best of all, start those daily devotions. God promises to hold our hand with every step, each moment and breath. Instead of worrying about the outcome of change, be like the wayward hymn singer and persist to that final note regardless of setbacks or interruptions. One thing that thankfully never changes: God’s great faithfulness.
Robert Fasol, Organist and Choir Master
