Psalm 42 – Hymns in the night, or if I had a hammer.

The other morning my wife woke up singing an old hymn to herself.
This doesn’t often happen :o)

Now, Ruth is without a doubt a ‘night owl’ and not a ‘lark’. As a result she is not terribly coherent first thing in the morning (or indeed willing to emerge from under the duvet). Only rudimentary communication is possible until after she has had a shower. As a result the hymn she was singing did not come out quite right leaving her a little puzzled until after her refreshing wash.
Her semi-conscious mind had somehow replaced the more familiar lyrics of the hymn, based on a prayer by St Francis of Assisi, with the words “Make me a hammer of Your peace.”
I think that Francis can rest assured that her variation on his prayer will not make the hymnal canon!

Psalm 42:8 (NIV)
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.

Was the strangeness of Ruth’s dawn chorus her own song? Could it be that as her consciousness was beginning to rouse itself from slumber it was somehow responding to the prayerful song God was singing over her life as she slept?
Who knows why Ruth was singing this hymn. But perhaps this ought to be our waking prayer; that our spirit would harmonise with His voice, responding to His call on our lives. His song becoming our prayer – fusion.


"Lord, make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offence, forgiveness. Where there is discord, reconciliation. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is sadness, joy. Where there is darkness, Your light.
If we give, we are made rich. If we forget ourselves, we find peace. If we forgive, we receive forgiveness. If we die, we receive eternal resurrection.
Give us peace, Lord."

Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)