Psalm 139 Paraphrase

For my Ministry with Youth class, we were asked to write a paraphrase of Psalm 139 for teenagers. My partner and I decided to write it as if it were intended for a teenager struggling to find his/her own way. As I reread it, I realized that all of us are "finding our way" so I in turn was writing this for me.

Psalm 139 Paraphrase

God, you know all about me: you know every moment of my day. You know everything I think, before I think it. You know when I am heading down the right path, and when I am following “the crowd.” You know EVERYTHING. Before I sing a song, before I cuss, before I scream, before I whisper, before I gossip, before I say anything you know what I am going to say. You are always with me, and even when I am a “bad kid” you are there with me: in front of me, behind me, beside me, above me, and within me. I don’t know why you know all these things and still love me.

I can’t go anywhere where you are not already there. You are waiting for me in heaven and you are here on earth. Even if I travel far away, you are with me; when I run away from home and when I run with the wrong crowd, you are there. The night is not dark to you, even when I feel closed in. Even in my darkness, your light shines.

You know everything about me, from what can be seen by the world, and what I hide in my heart. You knew me before I was conceived in my mother. I offer the best praise to you because you created me with perfect precision. With precision you created me in your image: you wanted me to be perfect. Your thoughts are so far above me and I will never understand all that you know or how you know it, but you still think about me. You still think about me!

God, you know all things and you have known me from the beginning, but I ask that you sift me and know even my deep dark secrets. There is so much bad in me, but you still desire good for me. Lead me in your ways.

Give me Jesus

I sit here alone in the MAC (Mercer Atlanta Cafeteria) reading for my preaching class. I had 9 hours of class. I am tired. I am ready to be home to play with dog and then in get in my bed. But, as I sit, weary, worn out, not wanting to be sitting on an uncomfortable chair by myself. I plugged in my headphones to listen my computer to the Mt Hermon Baptist Church Adult Choir (my mom's former church choir). "Give me Jesus" played. I have heard this song 100 times and the simple promise rang through, "you can have all this world, but give me Jesus." This song, with its simple, yet powerful lyrics, can move people. But what really moved me was the way my mom conducted the choir and pulled them through tension into a promise of peace. The unison parts speak of a great and powerful united body of Christ longing daily for the grace and love of Jesus. Out of one voice comes a flowering beauty in the music. All through life give me Jesus. At the end of life, it is with a triumphal voice that shouts to the world "GIVE ME JESUS!"

I am eternally grateful to my mom! She knows the right way to allow God's words to whisper through the quiet phrases of a piece of music with the perfect amount of grace. She knows how to conduct the crescendos and fermatas so that the power of musical harmonies shine through expressing with great power the exclamations of the music. She taught me to love music and the power in what is played and sung. Moreover, my parents taught me to love Jesus Christ with my whole being and at all times. When I rise, when I am alone, just before the break of day, and even when I come to die..."Give me Jesus."