Bless this house

When I was a child I remember a small plaque my mom had on the wall in our kitchen. It is amazing to me that those words have stayed with me all these years. I never knew where they were from and assumed it was something from the Bible. They came back to me this week as I prayed for harmony in these final days before Christmas and peace in these final weeks of 2009.
This morning, on a whim, I typed the first line on Google and up came the entire thing. It turns out is from a song written in 1927 that was later recorded by some of the top singers of my parents era; Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, Myron Floren, Mahalia Jackson, Kate Smith, to name a few. I don't remember ever hearing it as a song but that first line made an impressin on me all those years ago and I prayed with it in many forms all day yesterday. Here are the words to the song.

Bless this house, Oh Lord we pray
Make it safe by night and day
Bless these walls so firm and stout
Keeping want and trouble out

Bless the roof and chimneys tall
Let Thy peace lie over all
Bless this door that it may prove
Ever open to joy and love

Bless these windows shining bright
Letting in God's heavenly light
Bless the hearth, a-blazing there
With smoke ascending like a prayer

Bless the people here within
Keep them pure and free from sin
Bless us all that we may be
Fit , Oh Lord, to dwell with Thee

Bless us all that we, one day
may dwell with Thee, Oh Lord, we pray

Bless this house, Oh Lord, I pray and make it safe by night and day. Enable me to know that You bless this home and everyone in it at all times and under all circumstances, that every hour we may overcome evil with good. Let me think of 'house' as my consciousness or spiritual awareness so that I ask Your blessing on all my thoughts all day and all night. Let them all be in accord with what divine Mind is knowing. Bless this household for I dealy love everyone within it and am grateful for its shelter and protection and beauty. Help me understand how safe we all are in Your tender loving care. Bless this house today.

I am so glad this came back to thought after all those years. It is just as powerful now as it was then and it awakened the child in me.