Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Hold My Hand" (Hootie and the Blowfish)

It's Tuesday!!!  College Football has begun and all is right with the world once more....Welcome to September and this week's edition of
                                    Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!

Psalm 73:22-24

The Message (MSG)


 21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter,
      totally consumed by envy,
   I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox
      in your very presence.
   I'm still in your presence,
      but you've taken my hand.
   You wisely and tenderly lead me,
      and then you bless me.

     Have you ever had a child come up to you and grab your hand?  It is one of the most gratifying experiences one can have.  There is a sense of intense trust from the child that you know exactly what you are doing and know exactly where you are going.  Perhaps you have been the one who has reached out for a hand before.  This too can be an experience that is settling and soothing.  Taking someone by the hand can provide a calm in the midst of a world of storms.  Benefits abound to both people.  It can be an expression of love or of compassion.  The old adage regarding strength in numbers is absolutely true.  There is an exponential factor that applies to people's stamina when they are not alone.  Perhaps that factor could be 16.

     The "Best New Artist" of 1996 never achieved a #1 hit.  In fact, they had 4 top 20 hits with their highest charting single going only as high as #6.  But when those songs are part of the #1 Album, Cracked Rear View, it doesn't matter how high up the charts you go.  In fact, Cracked Rear View, was the best selling album of 1995 and the 18th best selling album of all time in the United States going 16 times platinum.  From 1995 here's Hootie and the Blowfish:

Hold My Hand Hootie And The Blowfish


    Meeting as college freshman, Hootie and the Blowfish would become iconic in the second half of the '90s.  Record stores struggled to keep the #1 Cracked Rear View in stock.  With the release of a new single, the album would return to the #1 position in the album chart.  Their debut single, "Hold My Hand" is a song about taking someone by the hand and helping them out until they can get back to normal.  It is one of those songs that you can easily sing along to the chorus and gain instant inspiration  as did legendary rocker, David Crosby (Crosby, Stills, and Nash) who sang background vocals on "Hold My Hand".  The band has not toured since 2008, nor have they released an album since 2006. (Lead singer Darius Rucker HAS released 3 Country albums with great success) Yet, Hootie and the Blowfish still remain on the radio and they play at 4 charity gigs that they have committed to annually since 1995.  Chances are, if you check your cd collection, Cracked Rear View is in there somewhere. 

     It is virtually impossible to go through life alone.  Your circle of friends may be small, and sometimes to you, perhaps even non existent.  With the explosion of Facebook (as a social network not a stock investment) people have had the ability to reconnect with folks they thought they would never lose sight of in the first place.  Granted there are those who "friend" people in which they have no acquaintance at all, but for the most part it is a network in which people can resume friendships from the past. As fun as the digital environment can be, we must never lose sight of those around us in which we can communicate in a much more personal level.    They need a warm smile, a patient and listening ear, occasionally some requested advice, and certainly a hand to hold in trying times.

     In Ephesians 4:12, Paul talks about the strength that can be gained by Christians holding hands and being bound together.  He uses the analogy of a rope or cord to show the stability and security that is achieved by more strands being tied into the cord:

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

¹² And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

     Paul's encouragement to the Ephesians is to bind together to obey the commands of Jesus. You can condense Jesus teaching into 3 basic commands:     1) Love God; 2) Love Others more than you do yourself; and 3) Make disciples.  In each of these commands there is an aspect of our hands going out to be held by another:  1) Holding our hands out to God for His strength and guidance; 2) Holding our hands out to others to support and strengthen; and 3) holding our hands out to lead others to Jesus for a transformational encounter with Him.    These commands are not easy, but they are what we should attempt daily.  Jesus said in Luke 9:23; “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."  We may very well stumble as we attempt to obey Jesus' commands, however, if we are holding onto someone's hand it is much less likely we will completely fall.  If you are in need of a lift, reach out and find God waiting to hold your hand.  If you are wanting to be more like Jesus, reach out and find someone's hand to hold.  

And ALWAYS:

"Hold To God's Unchanging Hand"

Time is filled with swift transition,
Naught of earth unmoved can stand,
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,

Randy