The Slovak language is especially dear to my heart.
I have wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ who speak it as their native tongue.
I have wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ who sing it as their language of worship.
They taught me. They taught me well.
I love it.
I sing it.
I love to sing it.
why? i don't exactly know.
There's just something amazing that happens inside of me when I worship in Slovak. It's like an overwhelming joy that consumes me.
There's just something amazing that happens inside of me when I worship in Slovak. It's like an overwhelming joy that consumes me.
In fact, it's so engraved inside me, that sometimes if I'm singing a song I know in both English and Slovak with Americans (who are singing English, obviously) I'll slip into Slovak. Often times i don't even realize it... but the Americans do!
funny side story: one time while leading worship with a Praise Team at our American church, I went into the chorus of 'Here I Am To Worship' in full-blown Slovak. A few seconds later I realized my syllables weren't matching up with the rest of the group. oops! So now I mentally remind myself, "Don't sing in Slovak, Don't sing in Slovak" whenever I sing that song.
The thing I love about knowing songs in both English and Slovak (this goes for scripture too) is it gives me a different perspective on things.
For instance, when Here I am to Worship was translated into Slovak, here's how the bridge turned out:
Ja nemám dosť slov opísať cenu, ktorú Ťa môj hriech stál!
See?!? oh, wait, you don't understand it? well, let me translate. this would read:
I do not have enough words to describe the price my sin cost you.
(and if you did understand it, and would like to complain about my translation, well... =))
anyway, the whole point of the previous paragraphs was to get to this:
The words, "nemám dosť slov opísať" often sing their way through my mind when I think about God and the things that He does for me.
I just don't have enough words to describe Him.
Maybe that's why David wrote
"Marvelous are your works, my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:14, emphasis mine)
I think that many things that God does are only understood in a supernatural way. In a way that only our souls can connect to. Something that words, or feelings can't even begin to describe.
Something I heard from Beth Moore once, was a lesson in letting your joy be made full. (John 15:11)
She encouraged us that whenever we encountered God's joy, we shouldn't cut it short with the busyness of life. Instead we should reflect on it, dwell on it, let it bubble up inside until it spills over.
Now, according to John 15, our Joy is made full by knowing God's love.
Every time I stop to reflect on God's wonderful gift to me, a sinner so desperately lost, so despairingly wicked, I realize more deeply, the amazing sacrifice Jesus became, so that I could live.
For this I don't have words enough to describe. I don't have the capacity to understand. However I do have the soul to rejoice and the willingness to let His joy overflow to those around me.
"Ja nemám dosť slov opísať cenu, ktorú Ťa môj hriech stál!"
For those of you who would like to hear how the Slovak sounds, here's a link to a rough recording of the song 'Here I Am To Worship' (aka Prisli sme Ta vzyvat) taken from a worship service at the church in Trencin, where my many of my Slovak brothers and sisters attend.
Prisli sme Ta vzyvat
I do not have enough words to describe the price my sin cost you.
(and if you did understand it, and would like to complain about my translation, well... =))
anyway, the whole point of the previous paragraphs was to get to this:
The words, "nemám dosť slov opísať" often sing their way through my mind when I think about God and the things that He does for me.
I just don't have enough words to describe Him.
Maybe that's why David wrote
"Marvelous are your works, my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:14, emphasis mine)
I think that many things that God does are only understood in a supernatural way. In a way that only our souls can connect to. Something that words, or feelings can't even begin to describe.
Something I heard from Beth Moore once, was a lesson in letting your joy be made full. (John 15:11)
She encouraged us that whenever we encountered God's joy, we shouldn't cut it short with the busyness of life. Instead we should reflect on it, dwell on it, let it bubble up inside until it spills over.
Now, according to John 15, our Joy is made full by knowing God's love.
Every time I stop to reflect on God's wonderful gift to me, a sinner so desperately lost, so despairingly wicked, I realize more deeply, the amazing sacrifice Jesus became, so that I could live.
For this I don't have words enough to describe. I don't have the capacity to understand. However I do have the soul to rejoice and the willingness to let His joy overflow to those around me.
"Ja nemám dosť slov opísať cenu, ktorú Ťa môj hriech stál!"
For those of you who would like to hear how the Slovak sounds, here's a link to a rough recording of the song 'Here I Am To Worship' (aka Prisli sme Ta vzyvat) taken from a worship service at the church in Trencin, where my many of my Slovak brothers and sisters attend.
Prisli sme Ta vzyvat
Prišli sme Ťa vzývať
Do tmy na svet prišlo k nám Svetlo sveta, otvor môj zrak, nech vidím.
Krásu lásku, v ktorej srdce Ti spieva, ved' láska a moc Ti patrí.
R: Prišli sme Ťa vzývať, prišli sme sa skláňať,
prišli sme Ti vyznať: „Si náš Boh!“
Si dokonalá Láska, dokonale Svätý,
dokonale nádherný pre nas!
Kráľ všetkých dní a tiež najvyšší vládca, slávnejší nad nebesá.
Ponížil sa, prišiel na zem, čo stvoril, vzdal sa slávy z lásky k nám!
Ja nemám dosť slov opísať cenu, ktorú Ťa môj hriech stál!
Thanks Betka! This is encouraging! =)
ReplyDeletePetko. =)
Awww... Betka that's awsome.
ReplyDelete