Over There

George M. Cohan became the first performing artist to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. In 1940 President Franklin Roosevelt recognized him for his contributions to the war efforts. Particularly he was cited for his compositions honoring America: Grand Old Flag and Over There. The latter is one of my favorite patriotic songs.

Over there, over there, send the word, send the word over there...

That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming, the drums rum-tumming everywhere.

So prepare, say a prayer, send the word, send the word to beware.

We'll be over, we're coming over and we won't come back till it's over, over there.

That is just one of the many entertaining songs in the 1942 musical Yankee Doodle Dandy starring James Cagney. It follows the life of the Cohans as they transitioned from burlesque to Broadway.  George became the writer and star of many musicals over the span of several decades.

Recently during my daily morning time with God listening to the audiobook of the Bible, I noticed the familiar scripture of Jesus praying in the garden. Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." (Matthew 26:36 MSG) We know how earnestly Jesus prayed to his Father. Remember that his disciples fell asleep rather then watching and praying with their Master?

photo by Aaron Burden/Unsplash.com

An extremely important part of a Christian's life is to spend time alone with the Lord. Those moments can be in a special room at home, on a mountainside, in church, or in a beautiful garden. The meditation, prayer, Bible reading, or singing that come from those occasions can form a unique part of following Christ. As often as possible, make the opportunity to find solitude with your Savior over there.