Lullaby Revised

I thought I had finally settled on a lullaby for Anna a week or so ago. But, I know I really forced the decision, just to have it done – although I really did/do like the tune just the same. It is called, “I See the Moon.” When I start to sing it to her, Anna locks eyes with me and seems mesmerized. It took awhile to choose even that lullaby for her because she didn’t really need one at first…she was always already asleep. But now, a lullaby sometimes wards off those crying spells I am so anxious about. The only drawback is that I was hoping for something more along the lines of Noah’s lullaby, which was technically not a lullaby. It was the hymn - Be Thou My Vision and I posted about it here. And "I See the Moon" is not a hymn.

Then this week, two friends – one old, one new – both posted recommendations for the same song (My Jesus, I Love Thee) … and when I hummed it to myself, it was an immediate fit! How could it not be? The melody is sweet and soothing, the words are exactly the mantra you would want to sing over you baby (let alone, remind yourself when you are going mad/crazy over her crying fits), and it just feels right. This comes as a relief, because I never could come up with much more than the aforementioned literal lullaby and a certain worship song that I have loved during our past two years at our church in AL: Wonderful Maker. Love it. But it still didn’t roll off my tongue when I looked at my new baby. “I See the Moon” did/does, but now, even better, My Jesus I Love Thee does even more and it fits better with Noah’s lullaby hymn motif!

Anyway, I just wanted to share the words to Anna’s lullaby/hymn: My Jesus I Love Thee. They certainly bear repeating. (Thanks Elizabeth, Thanks Emma). What the heck, I’ll do Noah’s lullaby/hymn, too.

My Jesus, I Love Thee

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

William Ralph Featherston, 1864

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Dal­lan For­gaill (translated from the Irish by
Ma­ry E. Byrne, Versified by El­ea­nor H. Hull)