Eternal Circles

This week the Mother of a friend from our church family passed on. Even before learning of her loss lines from an old tune had been making reoccurring breaches into my conciseness awareness. Perhaps this can be attributed to lingering remembrances of losses associated with Mothers Day and Memorial day which are mingled into health concerns of my own. Regardless of the reason these words seem to have a deeper and more profound meaning at present, a phenomena which it is anticipated will continue as each year goes zooming past.

Many of you are probably familiar with these stanzas which are the chorus of the Gospel version:

May the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky

These words are an adaptation of an older church hymn. The original lyrics don't have the nice rhythm of this popular rendition, but a reading of them gives much more insight into what this song is attempting to convey, so here is the hymn in it's entirety as it was original written.

Will the Circle be unbroken
by Ada R. Habershon

There are loved ones in the glory

Whose dear forms you often miss.

When you close your earthly story,

Will you join them in their bliss?

CHORUS:

Will the circle be unbroken

By and by, by and by?

Is a better home awaiting

In the sky, in the shy?

In the joyous days of childhood

Oft they told of wondrous love

Pointed to the dying Saviour;

Now they dwell with Him above.

(Chorus)

You remember songs of heaven

Which you sang with childish voice.

Do you love the hymns they taught you,

Or are songs of earth your choice?

(Chorus)

You can picture happy gath'rings

Round the fireside long ago,

And you think of tearful partings

When they left you here below.

(Chorus)

One by one their seats were emptied.

One by one they went away.

Now the family is parted.

Will it be complete one day?

(Chorus)

It is my earnest prayer that when I do pass on "In the Sweet By and By", ALL of my friends and family will either already be there or will eventually come and join with us "Up Yonder".

However, In the hear and now there is planning and preparation to accomplish for an immanent beach vacation here on earth.