O-o-h Child

Chrissy Lookabaugh

O-o-h child,

Things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child,

Things'll get brighter

This is an old song by Five Stairsteps. I have no information about this group. I don’t know if they are Christians. I don’t know what any of their stories are, and I can’t even say how they came up with a name like Five Stairsteps. I do, however, hum the melody of this song or sing the chorus (I am not a good singer) with my family when we really need a pick me up.

Hymns and Christian music are great choices, but sometimes we just need a song with lyrics like this. The song goes on to say things like, "Someday we’ll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun, someday when the world is much brighter." Here is the thing, the more we get to know people and the more we think about things, even in our own lives, we realize those times might not immediately come. Sometimes, the hits keep coming, and you don’t see the “your head is much lighter” examples.

The times we are living in are hard times for many. Is there anyone who would agree? This post is not actually about the song. It's about what the Bible teaches us to get through times when all we can hum is… "o-o-h child."

Just in our own immediate family of three, we have had a few hits including childhood cancer, early onset Parkinson’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, and these are just the major health issues. There are so many more layers that life-threatening illness and even chronic illness bring. So many of these things and many more for us have had us think there has to be a silver lining. There has to be something beautiful and lasting out of hurt and pain, and there 100 percent is!

Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

We have, time and again, met and become friends with people with similar illnesses and experiences, and we have been able to relate because we can understand some of what they are going through. We also, sadly, have met people who have been through much worse than us that we do not have knowledge or experience that will comfort them. Everyone has gone through, is going through, or will go through something that is less than perfect, because we all are human. We and others have had hard questions that fluffy one-liners don’t comfort or answer.

I have taken some time crying and even wallowing longer than I should have in our trials too, but this is not a good place to stay. It is far better to use what the Lord has done for us to show Him faithful and good instead of whining. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 states, “Wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

Here is the key to this entire post that makes the difference and makes it not a downer but a lesson learned for good. The answer the Lord gives us is each other. YOU and YOUR story are what the Lord can and will use to help someone in need if you just are willing to help and share. Throughout all of the ups and downs of life and circumstances, we have a choice always of how we are going to live. We have a mantra of “cry or play” in our home because we want to live each day to the fullest no matter how many days we are given. We want to choose to “play.”

There are times we have gotten knocked down, and it took a little while to get back up to “play” but the Lord always adjusts our perspective, and we see the beautiful silver linings that make us want to “play.” What are your silver linings? Our silver linings are things like 'sickness may have taken away some things, but it also made our love and care for each other stronger.' We are truly grateful for each day that we have with our family. It has changed the way we live and is a beautiful silver lining that we may have never had if we hadn’t gone through these difficult things. It has helped us realize how precious life is.

Ordinary things that can easily be taken for granted become extraordinary when you look at them through what Christ has done. Circumstances may be hard, but they are also opportunities to help others by sharing with them what the Lord has done in our or your lives and what He can do in theirs. These are lessons that are learned only in times that your heart cries "o-o-h child" but then…you do see what the Lord has done and will do and realize just like that song says, “things will get brighter.” The Lord can use YOU to make them brighter for someone, so do it now. Start by helping those whom the Lord has put in your heart and mind today.