Lullabies

Michael Card says in the case of  Sleep Sound in Jesus:

"Lullabies come around three times in the course of a lifetime. When we are babies, if we are fortunate, we hear them sung to us by our parents.  When we are parents, if we are wise, we sing them to our babies.  Then when we are grandparents, if we are especially blessed, we have that last wonderful chance to sing them again as we gaze into a little face, bits and pieces of which remind us of all our loved ones.

Beyond their covert purpose of coercing an infant to sleep, lullabies are songs we sing to show the love we have for our children, to show them our concern and to simply let them know we are there with them in this dark and fallen situation.  Lullabies can be simple didactic songs wherein we teach our infants with the rhythms and sounds of Scripture.  They can also be blessings wherein we plant the seeds of dreams, dreams which never completely leave them.

Lullabies are also songs we sing to ourselves.  They help reinforce the love which abides sometimes too deep within our hearts.  They are tools to bring it to the surface.  They remind us of our protective and comforting roles as parents.  They are artful ways of loving our children.

Finally, lullabies are songs we sing to God.  They can be prayers of thanksgiving, petitions for angelic protection or simple prayers of adoration for the gift of God we are trying to sing to sleep.

At the heart of it all, what lullabies are basically about is loving~loving our children and loving God and maybe even loving ourselves a little as in one of those rarest of moments we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are doing exactly the right thing~loving our children and God and singing simple, sleepy songs to both of them"
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I just loved this when I read it.  I will also add the idea that it is a time to instill bravery and courage into our boys.  What better way to combat scary things at night than to sing to my boys about brave men and women who have gone before them.  With all of this in mind I'll share the lyrics to Oliver's favorite bedtime hymn.

Rise Again Ye Lionhearted

1 Rise again, ye lion-hearted
Saints of early Christendom.
Whither is your strength departed,
Whither gone your martyrdom?
Lo, love's light is on them,
Glory's flame upon them,
And their will to die doth quell
E'en the lord and prince of hell.


2 These the saints by fear unshaken
Facing danger dauntlessly;
These no witching lust hath taken,
Lust that lures to vanity.
Mid the roar and rattle
Of tumultuous battle
In desire they soar above
All that earth would have them love.


3 Great of heart, they know no turning,
Honor, gold, they laugh to scorn,
Quench desires within them burning,
By no earthly passion torn.
Mid the lions' roaring,
Songs of praise outpouring,
Joyously they take their stand
On th'arena's bloody sand.


4 Would to God that I might even
As the martyred saints of old,
With the helping hand of Heaven,
Steadfast stand in battle bold!
O my God, I pray Thee,
In the combat stay me.
Grant that I may ever be
Loyal, staunch, and true to Thee.