Jesus, name above all names – Psalty’s Praise Album for Kids

Jesus, name above all names – Psalty’s Praise Album for Kids

Kids praise isn’t just for kids.

Today, my daughter, almost four, needed a nap. She has for the most part outgrown naps, but is growing and has just needed naps again this week. She couldn’t fall asleep over the busyness of the living room and wanted to be close to me instead of in her own room, so I turned on my iTunes Psalty Praise Album playlist for her. This is a CD I listened to (as an LP) when I was a child, and now she listens to the same songs. The music that I hadn’t heard in 30 years+ is so ingrained into my head that I knew every piece of dialogue and every song instantly when my mom bought her these cd’s last year.

I was playing the music and just sorting through my online tasks when this song came on. I’ve been struggling with my feelings of entitlement, not of riches or fame, but of being cherished and loved in an earthly, human weakness kind of way, and I’m losing. I ‘know’ I need to take my struggles to Jesus and ask him to be with me, but sometimes the how or the intangibility of God’s presence feels a lot like being alone. I am tired from all the physical struggles my body has put me through, I’m emotionally exhausted from trying to be the 1 Peter wife to my husband without fail, even when he isn’t the Ephesians 5:25-33 husband to me, or is so overcome by what the army is/does that he can barely be him, much less be anything for me.

I fell down yesterday, figuratively. I got angry and used words and tears to demand something from my husband he couldn’t give. I know it was sin. I asked his forgiveness, but I still feel broken over it, broken over the emotions that led to my melt down, and just alone. I feel wrecked inside. A dear friend, a lovely mentor in Christ, knows what I’m struggling with, knows the selfish needs and the fair ones, but pointed out Peter didn’t say act like this except . . . He said act like this. Period.

She also asked me to just focus on Jesus being my comfort, knowing he is with me, knowing he loves me, knowing he is suffering when I suffer and loving me even when the world or the people in my world aren’t right. When this song began to play, I felt Jesus’ presence. I felt his comfort and love. He didn’t save us to leave us alone. God is with us. And I celebrate being able to praise His name today and claim his redemption of all my sins, the ones from twenty years ago, the ones from yesterday, and the ones from tomorrow. Blessed redeemer, living word!

“Jesus, name above all names
Beautiful Savior, glorious Lord.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
Blessed Redeemer, Living word.

Jesus, name above all names
Beautiful Savior, glorious Lord.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
Blessed Redeemer, Living word.

Emmanuel, God is with us.
Blessed Redeemer, Living word.”

How precious are these words, how precious the knowledge that even at 42 I am God’s precious child. He wants to cradle me in His lap and wipe away my tears just as I do for my daughter. He wants to be present in my moments of deepest need and comfort me. I am so glad these songs and words are part of what I can share with my daughter and help her know she is never alone.