“Rock ’a My Soul”
I have had “song string” running through my mind. It seems as though every time I get still, quiet, restful, pensive this “song string” starts up and refuses to stop. Sure, it might go to “mute” when something else claims my attention, only to click back on as soon as it is given a chance to do so.
The song that the string pulls through my mind is one that I learned years and years ago. Most likely, the first time that I heard it was in those days of my youth when I would go to 4-H Club activities. I can recall some of those times when the activity would include a “sing-a-long”. The song that keeps replaying in my mind is of African-American origin. It is, “Rock’a my soul in the bosom of Abraham”. Over and over again I am hearing the words “Rock’a my soul”. In particular, I hear these words in the middle of the night when I am lying in my bed, wide-eyed, awake, and just waiting to get up in order to get my day going. Mind you, I am not complaining about these words. I am only pondering their significance at this point in time in my life.
I attended a worship celebration sometime in my yesteryear where the speaker used this chorus as the foundation to build the sermon upon. The speaker sang it a couple of times before inviting the congregation to join in singing it. I do not remember many of the details of the sermon, but I do know that during the flow of the sermon the speaker would sing and we would join in singing the words, “Rock’a my soul in the bosom of Abraham”. We repeated this pattern several times. As I remember it, the speaker delivered a wonderful, faith building sermon that lifted my spirits and captured my feelings.
Former President Calvin Coolidge (according to legend) was once asked “Mr. President. In your opinion what makes a great sermon?” Reportedly, he responded by saying, “A good beginning and a good ending, with not too many words between them.” Upon reflection, I think he would have classified the sermon that I am attempting to describe as being “a great sermon” for it had both a great beginning and a great ending and not too many words in between them. The sermon ended with the speaker saying, “Do you ever have times in your life when you need your soul just to be rocked?”
I must admit that, even with a terrible (prone to be “off key”) singing voice, I sing this chorus out loud, mostly to myself, a lot lately. I do not hold any memories of being rocked by my mother. No doubt, she must have rocked me often in an effort to get me to stop my whining and blubbering when something did not go the way I wanted it to. However, I do hold memories of rocking my daughters, Rebecca and Sara, when they wanted or needed me to. As times pass and challenges come into their lives and mine, I long to be able to rock them again. In fact, I long for my own soul to be rocked from time to time. Just to be able to feel safe, secure, and loved without hesitations, reservations, limitations, or fears.
So, how about joining me as I chase this “song string” a bit more? Let me hear you! “Rock’a my soul in the bosom of Abraham. Rock’a my soul in the bosom of Abraham. Rock’a my soul in the bosom of Abraham. Oh, rock’a my soul.”