In Every Age Janèt Sullivan Whitaker	(Based on 5 votes)

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Lyrics

1. Long before the mountains came to be
and the land and sea and stars of the night,
through the endless seasons of all time,
you have always been,
you will always be.
Refrain
In ev'ry age, O God,
you have been our refuge.
In ev'ry age, O God,
you have been our hope.
2. Destiny is cast, and at your silent word
we return to dust and scatter to the wind.
A thousand years are like a single moment gone,
as the light that fades
at the end of day.
3. Teach us to make use of the time we have.
Teach us to be patient even as we wait.
Teach us to embrace our ev'ry joy and pain.
To sleep peacefully,
and to rise up strong.

Text: Based on Psalm 90:1-4, 12. Text and music © 1998, 2000, Janèt Sullivan Whitaker. Published by OCP. All rights reserved.

Artist Reflection

John Woodcock was a former defensive lineman for both the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers, and a childhood friend of my husband's family. About ten years ago, this gentle giant of a man died unexpectedly and at far too young an age.

Just like that, he was gone.

The night after we received the news that John Woodcock had died, I dreamed of a haunting flute-like melody. For reasons known only to God, I rose in the middle of the night and wrote it down. The melody became the introduction to a new song, which, by morning had taken on a lyric inspired by Psalm 90. When John's family asked me to sing at his funeral, it seemed natural for me to sing this new song. This is how In Every Age was born.

After the funeral, the minister, my friend Richard Leslie took me aside and urged me to record the song and 'get it out there'. With Richard's generous support, In Every Age became the centerpiece of my first independent CD collection, a set of songs I would later submit to OCP for publication. To me, John's passing and the song that was born that night will always represent the start of my ministry as a composer. In Every Age is dedicated to the memory of a good man who suddenly went home to God. In his leaving, he dropped this little mustard seed in my hand, a parting reminder of God's faithful love.

People often share with me the ways in which this song helps them to pray, to cope with change and loss, and to find peace amid the uncertainties of life. Each year, its meaning deepens for me as well. Especially dear to me is verse three:

Teach us to make use of the time we have.
Teach us to be patient, even as we wait.

All around us are quiet reminders of the fleeting, fragile gift of life; of the golden blessing of time we must never take for granted. God is always waiting to help us grow in love, to make the most of the graces that abound, and to be generous in the sharing of ourselves with one another. God speaks to us in our rising each day, in our labors, and in the quiet of our dreamings.

May we all listen, and listen well.

- Janet Sullivan Whitaker