It was a day when good and bad mixed in a crazy way. There was sunshine and belly laughs and sunglasses to hide tears. The day ended in a deliciously serendipitous way–choir friends crowded into a room, spilling out of chairs and sofas, beside the fireplace and on the floor. I sat on the floor, knees pulled up to my chest, sandwiched between 2 friends who sat tight beside me.
Our conductor told us stories about living and teaching in Kenya. How he would line the songs–the words and the harmonizing notes for each part–and his Kenyan choirs learned all their songs that way. And because this was a choir, and these people never stopped singing, he lined a new song for us.
Every word thudded into my heart with its weight of import. Tears dripped off my chin and my friends squeezed my hands.
Eternal God, faithful and true, All of our longings come home to you. All of our longings come home to you.
You are our strength, You are our stay–Go now before us, show us the way. Go now before us, show us the way.
That we might have power to see God’s love so wide and deep, so strong and free–God’s love so wide and deep, so strong and free.
Eternal God, faithful and true, All of our longings come home to you. All of our longings come home to you. — James Croegaert
October 3, 2012 at 2:55 pm
I heard this song only once, when I was 11 years old, and I’ve never forgotten it. A beauty that reaches deep, doesn’t it? Love you, Anita!
October 3, 2012 at 3:00 pm
‘Deep’ is the word for it. The music makes it doubly so.
October 3, 2012 at 5:00 pm
“All of our longings come home to You…”
beautiful and profound… Tears are very fitting.
October 5, 2012 at 8:55 pm
I want to hear this song…
October 11, 2012 at 3:51 pm
Thank you for sharing this! I just finished a 1 1/2 week tour with an octet and this was one of our songs, became very special… tears were always close, tis so true. all of our longings… thank you.
November 17, 2012 at 3:45 pm
The lyrics to this song went in my journal this morning… I want to hear the music!!!