Tears in a Bottle (Psalm 56:8)

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?” (Psalm 56:8, KJV).

“You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8, NKJV).

When we moved from Georgia to Florida, we had to give away our old piano to a family who needed a practice piano. It would cost a fortune to hire professional piano movers to drive the upright over 500 miles to preserve the percussion and keys. It would cost less to start over.

My husband promised me that after we have settled down in our new home, he will buy me a new piano. Fourteen months after we moved, we are still not quite there yet. We have stacks of boxes left to unpack and a whole garage to reorganize.

A friend who visited us told me that I must let go of some more keepsakes from my son’s younger days. You might laugh at me for keeping his rock and fossil collection. But I still remember how we went to Graves Mountain and chiseled away at the rutiles, lazulites, and quartz. Those memories are in them thar rocks.

But the one thing I wish we hadn’t given away was that old upright piano. Yes, one key didn’t work too well. Yes, we had to tune it every year just so my son could practice on it. But oh the memories.

I’m thankful to God that back when my son was in high school, our church allowed their music academy students to participate in church services. For a few years, my son played the piano during some of the congregational singing and in offertories. Sadly, he doesn’t play the piano anymore, as far as I know. I wish I had recorded every single time he had since he was four years old, but it never crossed my mind that he’d stop playing the instrument since he liked it so much, you know? However, I hear the hymns in my memory. And God has a record of everything, even when my memory fades.

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?” (Psalm 56:8, KJV).

Jan Thompson
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