SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS January 19, 1998 Issue

Music: from comfort in sorrow to songs of joy

"I was singing from my heart, and I knew that God was pleased with my thought."

By Osceola Davis

Although My Early life was of a humble beginning, my parents gave me and the rest of my siblings lots and lots of love, a strong church foundation, and even a college education. My family, being musical, had an honorable name and I was expected to uphold it by resisting the temptation to engage in the wrong activities that were popular with teenagers at the time. I sang in the church choir and sang solos in my school and in other civic activities from preschool to twelfth grade, but I had few playmates and my grades were poor.

My unofficial singing career had begun. I was admired and hated at the same time; I was effervescent and sad at the same time. I felt my only way to lasting happiness was to love God with all my heart and soul and mind. He would always be my friend and bring me out on top.

Even though I was not aware of Science and Health at the time, I was learning the truth of this statement: "Trials teach mortals not to lean on a material staff,—a broken reed, which pierces the heart" (p. 66).I prayed for harmonious days in school and for peace going to and from it, because many times in elementary school I was followed by bullies. Often my older brother would walk with me; sometimes I would hum church songs along the way when I was alone. I began to realize that God was always with me, my constant friend and companion.

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