His Yoke Is Easy

On May 9th, 2017, while my wife Marilyn was away, the Lord gave me a new song I began to sing as I stood in our vacant, closed, echoing garage in Moon River. I felt a thrill in my soul and began with a bar or two of a pattern as in C, Em, F, and G. I searched for words. The only words coming at the time were, “I want you to know that, know that, I want you to know that….” From there I searched for more and came to, “…the greatest blessing, the greatest blessing….” From there to, “The greatest blessing is to know Him….” As days went by, I'd go on to other things but would return to search for more of the tune and words that were life and reality, not religious platitudes. I was inspired to sing from the heart and not from indoctrination or intellectual knowledge. I Want You to Know is one song I've had to search within for the tune and words. It's also the one I've most enjoyed. It's been like going deeper in mining for gold and by God's grace, striking “pay dirt.” I speak of the theme, words, tune, the level of notes and form of words more suited for my voice and range, and the pleasure I've enjoyed in the Lord. This is my most personal song. The theme certainly is the message of my heart. I came to realize this song is a Declaration of the First and Great Commandment.

On August 22nd, 2017, in our Moon River Estates home, I awoke having received the first 2 lines of this song. Later, at the computer, I began to amuse myself with the rest of the words, while Marilyn stood by thinking I was being silly. I was but I wasn't. Words quickly and smoothly came forth to express the present theme of my life that was unfolding beyond my understanding. Call it inspiration.                                                                                                     Now, what about a tune? Would it take long, as it has with some other songs? I took up my guitar, went to D, then E, G, and A, timing the words with the chords. I partly but naturally adopted a kind of nasal, aged voice by the spirit of the song, which Marilyn also had questions about but I loved it to tears and here it is. I call it Take Two, being accustomed to recording my songs, doing retakes, sometimes far more often than once. Here I was with lyrics suggesting I was having the privilege of a retake on life. I must say I've had many regrets about the wrongs, failures, and foolish mistakes I've made in my life. I'm well aware that others have learned important things early in life, gathering wisdom and understanding in early age well beyond mine now in my seventies. I've wondered if there was such a thing as reincarnation after all and that I had a life or two to live before I attained to the understanding others have had almost out of the womb. This song promises much ...

In December of 2010, there came a call to lay down the life for another. There was no one else to do it, and it didn't matter; the duty and appointment were ours alone. It appeared this person's life was on the line. He was suspected and accused of, condemned, and hunted for, alleged horrific crimes in his country far away and many years ago. In my contemplation of these matters, realizing we could lose everything, a tune came to me in the middle of the night of January 30/31, 2011, followed by these words (Unfortunately, I don't recall the tune).