What Treasures are You Hiding Within?

Have you ever written a song? Take it from me, you can. I think we believe that song writers are like painters and sculpters and if we had that talent we would know it. But when was the last time you tried to sculpt clay or took a brush to paint and put it on a canvas?

True there are people who have gifts they just can’t contain, but there are many more who choose their course and work and work and practice at it until they at sometime in life are noticed.

The same can sort of be said about songwriting. I mean if you go to a publisher, it is a craft. But trust me when I tell you that many of our most famous and beloved songs were not written by experienced writers. I have shared the story behind one of my favorite hymns “It is Well With My Soul.” That was simply out of the heart. A tragic, yet beautiful love song.

O Holy Night was an assignment from a priest for a Christmas Eve mass to a local wine inspector who also wrote poems. He was asked to write a poem for that evening. The writer, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure, began his writing on a buggy trip to Paris. He imagined himself in Bethlehem witnessing the birth of Christ. By the time he arrived at his destination, the poem was completed.

This poem moved him to the point he realized it was to be sung and sought the talent of a friend and composer. A Jewish man, who did not even celebrate this holiday, put the music to the poem. That Christmas Eve, the little church in a small French town sang Cantique de Noel for the very first time.

There is much more controversy that surrounds this song over the years to follow but we now cherish it as a traditional church song and Christmas Carol.

So if you ever even get a thought about writing, sit down and try it. You may surprise yourself at what you can do.

This year a 12 year old, Grace Vanderwhaal, won America’s got talent with a song she wrote and playing only a ukulele.

So I encourage you to find the songwriter in you! There are treasures in each of us that may never be found if we don’t ever try to release them. Sit down with your children and write one together that you can sing as a family. A silly song, a heartfelt song, just make it happen and you will have at the very least created a wonderful memory and who knows, that you may be stirring up a gift you didn’t even know you had.