The Soul of Man Never Dies


To be honest, I'm generally not a big fan of spirituals. However, when I found this version of "Canann's Land" as sung by one of my favorites, Kate Rusby, the simple profundity of the lyrics (and, of course, the lovely voice of Kate Rusby!) drew me in immediately.

I was entertaining Valen yesterday by singing along to him, and as I sang the lines, "Where there will be no parting and / The soul of man never dies," I was suddenly struck anew by the absolute miracle of new life. Here in my arms is a perfect, tiny person. A little over a year ago, he didn't even exist; in God's providence, he was created out of love, he lived inside of me for more than 9 months, and now he exists forever, an immortal soul entrusted to me (me!) for the first years of eternity.
It's easy as a mother to get bogged down in details both important and insignificant. I have spent many hours researching breastfeeding, food additives, vaccines, circumcision, birth choices, etc. I could write LONG, impassioned posts about each of these issues. I believe in the importance of making informed choices, and I do believe that in the right spirit this research can be a way of loving my children. However, in the grand scheme of eternity, how much does it really matter? That's a hard question for me to cope with, because for years, I have equated "being a good mother" with making all the 'right' decisions about these issues.

I am thankful for the reminder that my most important job is to teach my children about God's love not " with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." (1 John 3:18) All these other issues, which can seem hugely important, can also act as powerful distractions from the few things that really matter.