1. My body is a little boat
That sails the raging seas,
Where illness, tension, pain and stress
Can get the best of me.
But Spirit guides my little boat
To everything I need.
2. My mind, it is a little boat
That sails a clouded sky.
When darkness falls, I see my fears
That vanish in the Light.
And Spirit guides my little boat
Through every stormy night.
3. My soul, it is a little boat
That sails eternally.
When I forget in trials deep,
To live my destiny,
The Spirit guides my little boat,
And I return to peace.
Yesterday I had every intention of creating and submitting a (hopefully musical) entry for the Weekly Photo Prompt from Sue at Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo.
It’s become such an inspiration and positive routine for me that I start looking forward to it on Tuesday!
Well, as the saying goes, “Crystal plans, God laughs!” I was hit with a migraine last night that did not let up, didn’t sleep well, and then awoke to find the migraine turned to a full-blown thing, nausea and all. I’ll spare you the details, except to say that even walking and eating were extremely difficult. I do have chronic pain of other kinds, every day, but don’t get migraines like that very often. Suffice it to say that when I do, it is not fun! In fact, it’s debilitating!
This ruined my day and other things I had planned, ruined my husband’s plans, and had us worried for a while. I can still feel dull pounding (Is there really such a thing?) in my temples, but I bring you “The Arran Boat (Song)” for a reason.
The reason is harp therapy, or zither therapy, in this case. This traditional Scottish tune, first published in the 1880s, is often used as a calming, grounding piece. I’d been meaning to learn it for some time, and started practicing and arranging it a few days ago. This evening, after the pain subsided enough to think, I picked up little Ripply,
my 2-3 LB. zither/lap harp, and played this piece while I was laying down. On my back with my head propped on pillows and my knees up, I propped the zither against my thighs. I played the piece a few times before recording it and was surprised, though I shouldn’t have been, to find how comforting it was.
I share “The Arran Boat” or “Highland Boat Song” with you now in hopes that it will calm, comfort, and ground you as well!
When reality is an illusion,
And you’re fretting and full of confusion…
Simply take a deep breath,
Go deep into yourself
Where the Light gives you calm and conclusions!
I wrote this song 4 years ago. It was inspired by an inflatable flamingo my parents had in their pool, and something my nephew said about hiding sins. It has nothing to do with this week’s photo, but just the word “fantasy” in Sue Vincent’s Thursday #Writephoto Prompt, Fantasy.
This is the closest thing I’ve had to a hit song so far. It was much requested when I performed at nursing homes, rehab centers, etc, and a few listeners would sing the refrain! What an honor for a songwriter! 🙂
Charles H. Gabriel wrote this hymn in 1890. The melody is a tune he entitled “Mccabe.” With its march tempo and evangelical lyrics, “Send the Light” is one of the most popular missionary hymns of all time.
Personally, I marched down the church aisle as a child, singing what lyrics I knew with the rest of the congregation, during the Alabaster Offering. Alabaster is an offering specifically designated for building mission churches around the world and is participated in by many traditional Christian denominations. I don’t mind admitting that as a 3-5-year-old, it was more of a play break from the usual order of service. 🙂
As time passed, I, too, had an Alabaster Box containing whatever change I had to contribute. I put my little box inside the one shaped like a church building and marched back down the aisle to one of the 2 back pews that my parents, grandparents, siblings and I filled to capacity.
Besides the marching, the most memorable part were our pastor and a young man who played trumpets, and the 2 ladies who played piano and organ. Needless to say, the semiannual Alabaster Offering became a treat of sorts, that I still remember many years later.
I’ve come to realize that “Send the Light” is not all about money. It’s about sharing whatever you do, whatever you have (your time, talent, and treasure), and above all, whatever you are. It’s not for their conversion to your belief system, but for the love of other people. We are all God’s creations, whether we want to admit it or not. Because God loves each and every one of us equally, the same Presence within us can help us love ourselves and others as much, if we invoke the Spirit of Healing and Love to work through us.
I hope you enjoy hearing this hymn on lyre! More importantly, I pray you send your own light to those you know, those you love, and those you haven’t met yet! We are all eternally connected in the Light of God, and that will never change!
Play or download this Metaphysical Prayer Treatment
(also called Spiritual Mind Treatment or Affirmative Prayer) with lyre accompaniment.
I turn away from the world that surrounds me for a few moments. I leave the worn outer world and mind behind me.
Planted habits and thought patterns fall away as I traverse the stepping stones leading deep within myself.
Here, I open the doors of my ordinary mind to the Higher, Greater Truth that I Am.
Light permeates my mind, and I realize I Am One with Love, Wisdom, Creativity, Power, and Healing. Whatever I need is already here within me. I can access my Divine Attributes at any moment, simply by looking higher and deeper to the Spirit within the center of my own mind. This is my True Self.
For this realization I give thanks! I return to my daily activities renewed, refreshed, relaxed, and ready to accomplish the Divine Plan for me this day.
Mystical Strings 
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