Stand Up for Jesus

I think I'm getting older. I find myself singing old hymns that we used to sing at church while I was growing up. Each time I get to sing one it fills me with joy. We don't sing a lot of them at church nowadays. Usually we sing songs that are labeled as worship songs. Which I like a lot too. But, there's something about the older more traditional songs that seem to speak the words that I have a hard time expressing on my own.

Ever since Maggie was a baby I've sung the hymn "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" when I wanted her to stand up. Sometimes I change the words to reflect what I want her to accomplish at the time. But, for the most part I would just sing through the whole song while I finished putting on her clothes and such. Here are the words (feel free to correct me if I got them wrong).

Stand up, stand up for Jesus
Ye soldiers of the cross
Lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss

From victory unto victory
His army shall he lead

'Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed!

OK, now here's the cute thing about all this. Since I've song it so many times Maggie knows it very well. She can pretty much sing it all by herself. She can't pronounce every word clearly. Vanquished is a tough word to say! And, it's not written in the type of language that we speak day to day. But, she gives it her all. And when she comes to the end she is belting it out with full belief that Christ is Lord. I love it!