Bedtime at Casa LuMarFin
June 9, 2018
Blippi, Barbie Dolls, Live Baby, Doc. McStuffins, Peppa Pig, Lego Movies ….the list is impressive. Those are the things that my precious grand-children watch during their “TV time”. Barbie Dolls are, in Grampy’s opinion, a particularly mindless activity that consists of watching others, some of them adults, play with Barbie Dolls. Lucy will invariably snuggle next to me and plead, “Can we watch a Barbie video?” When I inquire of Lucy why she doesn’t just go and play with her own dolls, she responds by saying that watching the show gives her ideas! It gives me ideas too but I won’t say what they are!
There is a long-standing bedtime ritual in the home of my daughter and her husband. Typically both of them are involved in a process that can take in excess of an hour. It involves getting the kids settled, reading a book … another book … and even another; prayer and sometimes even singing songs.
As Grammy and I sat in the living room recently, below the bedroom where the ritual was taking place, I could hear Ryan singing to the munchkins. I was blessed when I realized that he wasn’t singing silly songs (though I am sure there is some of that from time to time) but spiritual ones! And they were not children’s songs either!
How many parents would sing Rock of Ages to a 2,4 and 6 year old at bedtime? He was! What a great song to sing at bedtime. It is said that the author of the hymn was caught in a thunderstorm and, finding shelter in the cleft of a large limestone bolder he penned the words of the hymn.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
The other hymn that was sung to the children was that 8th century Irish hymn, “Be Thou My Vision”. It is believed that the original poem may have been written by an Irish saint who experienced blindness later in life.
Be Thou my vision, oh 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
High King of Heaven my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, oh, bright heaven’s sun
Heart of my own heart whatever befall
Still be my vision, oh Ruler of all
Thou and Thou only first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art
Sleep well my darlings! Sleep well!
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