...With Babes in the Woods

I recently met a woman who had a lullaby she sang to her children each night. I was privileged enough to hear her song and her explanation of it's importance:

                        Oh, don't you remember, a long time ago,
                        There were two little babes, their names I don't know.
                        They strayed far away one bright summer's day,
                        And were lost in a wood, I've heard people say.

                        And when it was night so sad was their plight,
                        Oh the sun it went down and the stars gave no light.
                        They sobbed and they sighed, and they bitterly cried,
                        Then the two little babes, they laid down and died.

                        And when they were dead, the robins so red
                        Spread strawberry leaves all over their heads.
                        And all the day long  they sang their sweet song
                        Of the poor little babes who never did wrong!

It's an interesting old English song, with a surprisingly comforting tune, contrasting the story it tells. Yet, this experienced mother taught the message of what this song warns against: when the song was originally written, it was meant to keep young children from wandering in the woods. Today we don't have woods to wander through, but we do wander through danger each day. This song warns of wandering away from the light of what we know, and entering into a world of darkness through sin and denying God.

So, although the story may be simple enough, I hope, after looking at it again, we can heed it's warning and keep God's commandments, staying in the light.