Fur Elise

Elise, do you recognize this fountain?

Here's yet another one of the thousands of little fountains that are scattered throughout Houston. The two I posted are in our neighborhood. I think we have about ten in all!

This text is "Fur Elise". For those of you not familiar with this song, it's probably because you haven't had a child that took piano lessons! Elise happens to be the name of my youngest child. On the day Elise was born our pediatrician, Dr. Tucker, was in the delivery room and asked what the baby's name was. We told her "Elise" and without missing a beat she started humming this famous song. Dr. Tucker - what a character! I first saw her way back in the early 80's. She would come into the local grocery store (It was named "Jitney Jungle". Can you tell we lived in Mississippi!?!) Anyway, she would come in for the sole purpose of playing a popular video game, "Ms. Pacman". Back in those days, we didn't have elaborate game systems in our homes, so games were played in stores or arcades. One day while I was at the hospital, I saw my Ms. Pacman "friend". I didn't have a clue who she was, I just figured that maybe she worked at the hospital. After all, whenever I saw her, she was always dressed in scrubs. When David was born, she popped into my room and said "Congratulations!" As she left I thought to myself, "What a friendly little hospital. Even the janitorial staff comes in to say hi!" Then David had his first appointment with a pediatrician. Imagine my surprise when Dr. Tucker walked in! For a few seconds I was confused, and then embarrassed as it slowly dawned on me who my Pacman playing janitor REALLY was!!

Well, I digress. This is the point where you might lose interest because this is really meant for Elise, who is now living on her own in Mobile, Alabama and attending US of A. I miss her terribly. Elise has this spirit, this spark about her that makes her fun to be around. Our home is much quieter without her here! Elise has a favorite song. It's an old hymn called, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing." I don't know why that's her favorite. Why is that song your favorite, Elise? All I know is that whenever she calls my cell phone or sends me a text, my phone plays that hymn. I get so many comments from people when they hear my phone go off and it starts playing that hymn. I especially like it when my phone goes off in Macy's. You should see all the people craning their necks to figure out where that church music is coming from! Today I got a text from her that said, "I miss you, Mommy!" Ah, music to my ears. I miss her, and think of her so often...especially when I'm driving around Houston. Now I know why. It's all the fountains I pass as I drive around Houston. I teach English all over the city, so I pass my fair share of these fountains every day. I think tomorrow I'll start counting them. And Elise, every time I pass one, I can't help but think of you and say a prayer for you. Some days it may not feel like it, but God's got it all under control, Elise, and He's working everything out for your good and for His glory! Here's a little story about that favorite song of yours:

Robert Robinson (1735-1790) got saved under the ministry of George Whitefield. He even entered into the Christian ministry, but he still tended to wandered from God. He wrote the hymn “Come Thou Fount” as an autobiographical sketch. His heart would get out of tune, causing him to neglect God. In stanza two he tells of his conversion. And stanza three he admits that he has a daily debt to Grace and asked God to help his wandering heart.. One day, in his latter years, while he was on a stagecoach, a female passenger wanted to share her faith with him. His actions that day spoke as one not knowing Christ. She quoted this hymn saying, “These words might help you as they have helped me.” He sobbed, “Madam, I am the poor, unhappy man who composed that hymn many years ago. I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.”

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace;Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above;Praise the mount-I’m fixed upon it-mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I’m come;And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand’ring from the fold of god;He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wand’ring heart to Thee;Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;Here’s my heart, O take and seal it; seal it for Thy courts above.

Click here to enjoy the song. It's performed by college students and reminds me of your choir days! Love you so very much, and I know tomorrow will be a better day. Hugs!