"Be Still My Soul" The Song

Sometimes things line up in a way so that God's mighty right hand is evident in our walk toward and with Him.  Today is one of those days for me. I am preparing material to teach a class on prayer and seeking God's presence in stillness and quiet. 

During my search, I googled the history of one of my favorite songs, "Be Still, My Soul."  The haunting melody and ethereal emotions it provokes are perfection when pondering the Lord's call for us to "be still and know." 

It always fascinates me when I find links to what I'm studying and subject matter that is valuable to me. I have know the song was originally written in German.  But today I learned it was translated to English by a Scottish girl in early 1800s.  Her name was Jane Borthwick, a member of the Free Church of Scotland.  The Borthwick clan lands bordered my Ramsay family's lands just south of Edinburgh, Scotland.  In the novel I am writing, my main 16th century Ramsay character, Anastasia marries a Borthwick. 

I also discovered there are verses written for the song that aren't normally included in hymnals.  One stanza in particular stands out to me due to its sentiments on grief.  One of my novel's central themes is grief and the book was born out of my own experience with grief after losing my best friend, Angie.  (That still jars me every time I type those words.)

 Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
and all is darkened in the vale of tears,
then shalt thou better know his love, his heart,
who come to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
from his own fondness all he takes away.

These words....  What a gift....  How that verse soothes me.  Praise God for this revelation today!  I am delighted to know that God provides just what I need when I need it.  And I needed this today!