Sing Me a Memory: You Are My All in All

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all....

Jesus, Lamb of God,
Worthy is your Name!

We sang this song in church today, and like so many songs, I have a strong memory connected to when I first learned it. It amazes me how memory works, that a few bars of a melody can bring back to mind everything about a time and place.

It was 1994, and I was a freshman in college. Three friends and I determined to drive from Grand Rapids, MI to my home in California for spring break. Straight through. Bathroom and fueling breaks only. Yes, we were probably certifiable. Sure! We can sleep sitting up. Sure! We can subsist and soda and pop tarts for two days straight. Sure! We can make it to Reno on the gas we have right now. (We did, by the way, no getting stranded in the Nevada desert.)

This was before the days when every car was equipped with a CD player, let alone a DVD player and 1.8 cupholders per passenger. So along the way, we kept ourselves entertained - and awake - by singing a lot, and one of the girls taught us this song. The chorus and verses can be sung in a round, so we divided into pairs and sang it over and over again until all of us had learned every word. And then we sang it again and again and again just because we could. Because on that little sleep, the acoustics inside the car rivaled that of any dorm room shower.

I can't help but think of that trip and those girlfriends when I sing this song. It's part of my history now, a piece of the puzzle that defines my life and my faith and who I am today. I sing it with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. I'm thankful for those friends still, and thankful for the great God who led us to a share a path for a bit of life's journey.