The power of a song

  I tend to listen to my newest CDs until I get tired of them or until I get newer ones. After a while, certain CDs get retired to yesterday and rarely get listened to. I have a lot of my CDs on iTunes and my iPod, but there are over 7000 songs on there, so even past favorites get lost in in the shuffle. Last night, I pulled out a CD of requested favorites by a group who used to be my favorite group, Jeff and Sheri Easter. They have changed their style somewhat, and added their daughter (whose singing I don't really care for), and are a group whose best albums seem to be in the past. This particular CD of favorites was done in 1995.  One of the songs on that CD is one they recorded way back in 1991 and was a song they became well known for over the years, Roses Will Bloom again.

  The first verse talks about planting a rosebush and watching it grow and bloom, only to see it die in winter. The second verse talks about a couple married 40 years until the woman, named Rose died and left him alone. The third verse talks about Jesus, The Rose of Sharon, being crucified and put in a grave, only to rise 3 days later. The same chorus is sung for all three verses:

Roses will bloom again,
Just wait and see
Don't mourn what might have been
Only God knows how and when that
Roses will bloom again.

  It is a song of hope. Hope that no matter what happens in this life, hope will bloom again, that God will bring us through tough times, and restore what is broken and lost, even if it is in Heaven.

  I have always liked the song, and as it played, I felt such a sense of peace and tranquility. The song took me back to better times and good memories. And it isn't just because of the words, as good as they are and as much comfort as they bring. It is more than that. I don't know totally what was going on in my life at that time, but they were better times. Less stressful, easier. I was an adult, but going to college and still mostly dependent on my parents. The realities of life hadn't hit yet. I was still an innocent young guy not much more than a kid. I can still remember the first time I heard the song. I didn't have the CD yet, and heard it on the radio. Most songs tend to be two verses, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear a third after the second verse. A verse that is the reason for any Christian's hope;

The precious Rose of Sharon,
Broken and bruised in cruel shame,
Stained on the cross of Calvary,
So that men might be saved,
Oh, Satan cheered as He died,
While Mary and the others cried,
Then God raised Him up from that sleep
And kept a promise only He could keep.

  But again, the song means more to me than that, And I don't mean it in a bad way, as the Resurrection is the most important event ever...... but there are other songs about Jesus death and resurrection that don't bring about the same feelings.

  There is a song that brings the opposite emotions. I can remember what was going on at that time in my life. I was working a job I hated - my first official job, It was fast food and I was eventually let go because I wasn't fast enough. That song was on a cassette tape I played a lot on my way to and from work at that time, yet none of the other songs from that tape bring about those negative emotions and memories.

  Why some songs affect me that way and others don't, I have no idea. But there is power in a song. Martin Luther said he gave place to music next to theology in importance. That isn't in the Bible, but I think he is right that it is very important, and is why we need to be careful what kind of music we listen to.

  I am sure secular songs can do the same thing as Roses Will Bloom Again does to me...... and it isn't the only song that brings about those kind of emotions and memories.... but I would rather have Christian songs influence me that way than secular.

  I thank God for music, and for the writers that write great songs, and the singers that record them to not just help us along this journey through life with the words, but that also help bring back memories of better and easier times.

Verse 1
I planted a little rose bush,
I tended it with care,
It's buds began to blossom
Their fragrance filled the air
But when winter came it withered,
The petals drooped and fell to the ground,
My heart sank as it faded,
But I'd forgotten who had made it.

Chorus
Roses will bloom again,
Just wait and see
Don't mourn what might have been
Only God knows how and when that
Roses will bloom again.

Verse 2
Rose was his only sweetheart,
A loving wife for forty years.
Cherished every day they had,
And held memories oh so dear
He never dreamed he's bore love
And go to live alone,
But he lay his Rose to rest,
Looked up to heaven and tried his best
To believe that

Chorus
Roses will bloom again,
Just wait and see
Don't mourn what might have been
Only God knows how and when that
Roses will bloom again.

Verse 3
The precious Rose of Sharon,
Broken and bruised in cruel shame,
Stained on the cross of Calvary,
So that men might be saved,
Oh, Satan cheered as He died,
While Mary and the others cried,
Then God raised Him up from that sleep
And kept a promise only He could keep.

Chorus
Roses will bloom again,
Just wait and see
Don't mourn what might have been
Only God knows how and when that
Roses will bloom again