Humming Will Get You Through

Kristine Cucinotta Murphy

I was outside the other night and came upon a man fishing. I saw his arm moving like he was petting an animal. But, I noticed he didn’t stop. I asked him,”Whatcha petting”? He replied, “Oh, just this 200 yards of fishing line. It had a loop in it way down inside making a noise. So, I had to straighten it out.”

He holds up what he had done, taking all of the line off the reel and it looked like a snake all coiling up.

Since he was going to be there a while not fishing, I figured I’d keep him company and sat down next to him.

Ephesians 4:2 – With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.

I’m admiring the moonlit sky that had a halo around it reflecting off of the pond, as I wrap my blanket I had around my shoulders around my legs.

He starts humming. I got excited. Humming is a form of music to me, it brings me much joy and I started to hum with him! He stopped humming and put out a chuckle, asking me if I know what it means when he hums. Of course I didn’t and told him that.

He explains to me when he starts to get really, really frustrated he hums and people that know him run; they leave to let him calm himself down in his humming.

I said “Oh.” And, I started humming again and we laughed.

Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.

He gave me his choice wise words, “Humming will get you through!”

Psalm 100 – Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

I smiled and admired this man reaching a limit to his patience with a way to exercise self-control when patience started to slip, in a way that brought joy.

There are things that end up in a mess or become more work than we intended to do, that try our patience.

1 Peter 1:7 – That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Yet, we must keep alert of our emotions, keeping ourselves in check in all self control to not lose our joy and peace. Because when we are alert to stay in control, I have witnessed it brings others joy and peace.

1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

We walk up to the house so he could change rigs and get bait for catfish. I encouraged him that I saw his patience grow during the trying time he had with the fishing line. He agreed and asked me if I catfish.

I was caught like a deer in headlights. “Nooooah!” I continued, “I lure fish. It’s about that bass. I can’t just sit there holding a rod waiting. I have to be up and moving, so I’m ready for the fight of a big mouth!”

1 Thessalonians 5:6 – Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

I proceeded, ” Oh, your patience was tried with that line, so now you want to see mine tried.” He laughed, I hummed, he handed me a rod and we set out to catfish.

Romans 15:5 – Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.

We didn’t get a single bite in the couple of hours we sat out there. But, he fixed a line, I held a rod still, we kept our joy and peace, we conquered a challenge and humming got us through!

1 Peter 1:13 – Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;