The Leopard Song

   There are days when moments from my childhood crash through my present existence in a breathtaking fashion, transporting me back to a time and place where once, I lived.  My childhood was idyllic.  I was a carefree kid that took playtime as seriously as any job.  My only responsibility was to keep my mom apprised of every move taken by my two older brothers.  (Self-appointed, of course!)  So, anytime scenes from long ago make an appearance, they tend to bring a smile to my face. 

   One such incident happened this past Sunday.  My husband and I attend our more traditional service offered at our church.  We were in the middle of worship, singing the hymn, “Jesus Paid It All”.  As we neared the fourth verse, these were the words that served as keys to open the door to my past.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone. 

   There I stood, as a little girl moved by those words.  I had always heard that “a leopard cannot change his spots”-it’s in the Bible!   And now, in church—where the truth is spoken—we are singing about the fact that Jesus ALONE had the power to change the leopard’s spots.  If that didn’t speak “POWER” to me…nothing could. 

   Delving further in my memory, I thought back to the times in worship when we would sing:

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,

   Though I loved to sing hymns, this one always confused me.  I did not quite understand what bringing in the sheets had to do with church.  My mother always hung the sheets out to dry and oh how I loved fresh, clean sheets.  But….never thought it was worth rejoicing over.  I always chalked it up to being one of those “grown-up” things that I would understand one day.

   Back to the present, I chuckled out loud as the leopard song came to an end.  It occurred to my grown-up mind that the old songs of the faith are ingrained in me.  I derive comfort from the words that have taken root in my heart.  It also occurred to me that I DO rejoice over clean sheets and if Jesus wanted to change a leopard’s spots….He could.