In the bulb, there is a promise
In the seed, an apple tree
In cocoons, a hidden promise
Butterflies will soon be free
In the dead and snow of winter,
There’s a spring that waits to be
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
There’s a song in every silence
Seeking word and melody
There’s a dawn in every darkness
Bringing hope to you and me
From the past will come the future
What it holds, a mystery
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
In our end is our beginning
In our time, infinity
In our doubt, there is believing
In our life, eternity
In our death, a resurrection
At the last, a victory
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
When I was in elementary school, my church started a children’s bell choir. We played a 2-octave bell set with colored bells. Our director made posterboard music charts and color-coded the notes so that we could begin to learn how to play music with our bells. Soon, we moved up to a set of chimes and reading sheet music or hymns from the United Methodist hymnal. One of the songs we first played at church was “Hymn of Promise”. I still remember every word of the first verse because we practiced often to share these new chimes and our new choir to our church congregation. In fact, if I hear the song I often want to hold and move my hands like I’m playing the chimes. This song brings strong memories of my experience playing with in this bell choir. Music does have strong connections with memories and I also love that the words have been ingrained in my memory as well.
The words of this hymn show a great truth. The repeating chorus, “unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see” is a great reminder to us. The verses give many examples of how this is revealed in nature and life. There are these “hidden promises” all around us. It is often difficult in our cold, dry, or empty seasons of life to see what God is doing through those. But just like all of these examples remind us, there is something more. There is a promise of hope and victory. There is a promise of God’s continual work and presence. We may not see it yet, but it will be revealed to us in the right season.
– Amy Givens, Director of Youth Ministry
