Jesus Loves Me

Jesus Loves Me has been the first song I have sung each of my children. In the nervousness of being a new mother, it was all I could remember or think of.

(The same can be said of an ER trip in college, where I evidently sang Jesus Loves Me for 4 hours straight).

When I awoke the morning after delivering Caleb, it was all I could think about. I wanted to hold my baby and sing Jesus Loves Me. As I talked myself in and out of the idea, the words to the old song reverberated in my chest.

"Jesus Loves Me this I know. 

For the Bible tells me so. 

Little ones to Him belong. 

They are weak, but He is strong. 

Yes, Jesus Loves Me. Yes, Jesus Loves Me. 

Yes, Jesus Loves Me, the Bible tells me so." 

This song I have sung thousands of times, as a child, as a teen, as an adult, and as a mother. For the first time though, they resonated like never before.

As I rocked Caleb that Thursday morning, and squeaked out these words it was obvious that they were meant more for me, than for him. As Jesus held him on his lap, He knew that Jesus loved him.

It was I that needed the reminder.

In the midst of grief, it was I who needed to hold on to the words written in the Bible and tucked into my heart for such a moment as this.

It was I who was weak and needed someone strong to hold onto me.

It was I who needed to hear what the Bible has to say - because in that moment, I couldn't think. I could just weep and feel, and sing the one song tucked away so deep in my heart that not even in the midst of tragedy and pain and grief could I forget it.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me, the Bible tells me so.