To You Who Love & Follow the Lord—A Blessing

 

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

 

            These verses bring back treasured memories of my growing up years. You see, when I was the ripe ol’ age of 7, my parents helped Wilmos & Gladys Csehy (pronounced Shay-Hee) who founded a Christian summer music camp.

            The first year the Csehys needed a brochure photo to advertise. “Aunt” Gladys asked our family to meet them at Montrose Bible Conference in Pennsylvania. They were traveling evangelistic musicians, and they’d be there a date we could mutually meet.

 

           We drove from New Jersey. My sister brought along her Sunday dress and viola, and she met “Uncle” Wilmos up on the 2^nd floor balcony of the old Montrose dining hall building, where he also donned his best. They struck this having-a-lesson-with-the-master-violinist pose*, and it became "history!"

            That evening, when the business of music camp was accomplished, we enjoyed a Csehy concert at the tent meeting sight—sawdust trail and all. I sat on a bench by Adi Cierpke, the Csehy’s long-time soloist, and drew Flintstone cartoons. Yes, I really did. (Adi remembered that a long time later. We laughed about it.)

            When the next summer arrived, this Csehy dream had its new beginning with just a handful of students and faculty. Mom was secretary and registrar for decades, and Dad came along as maintenance with his only claim to musical talent being he “played the radio.”

            I biked my way around the Cedar Lake Bible Conference grounds that first summer and did errands between the office and faculty, fished with “Uncle” Wilmos and Dad some early mornings, played shuffleboard, and sat in on some of the teaching times. I wouldn’t start violin lessons until the following summer, but then I was still way too young to become a music camper. You had to be 12. I couldn’t wait!

            Those summers spent at music camp (first in Indiana and later in Pennsylvania) were pivotal in my life. The training received, the friends made, the foundations in faith we were taught—life changers. Direction givers. And, when I look back at what most mattered in my life overall, it was time spent at what became known as Csehy Summer School of Music.

            Oh, the stories I could share! The memories! And of all the men in my life besides my dad and now husband, I most valued the love shared with “Uncle” Wilmos. He instructed me in more than violin. He taught me life.

            So, why do the Bible verses at the top of this post remind me of music camp? At the end of every evening, we sang those in resounding, beautiful harmony. At the end of each weekly concert too.

            Now, as we too have a new beginning—this year 2024—I share with you this blessing, you who love and honor the Lord:

“The LORD bless you and keep you…”

            He will as you have committed your life to Him. And He will keep you. Keep! No matter what befalls you as you love, honor, and serve Him, He KEEPS. Even when it looks like there’s no hope. He cannot fail.

“…The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you…”

            He delights in you, not only because you’ve committed to serve Him but because He loves you so completely, looking at you and upon you as the proud-of-you Father He is. And He’s gracious, kind, loving, caring, tender, compassionate. Everything that’s rolled into grace, including all He did on Calvary to bring you to this place and time. And to your commitment.

“…The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

            Countenance! God looks upon you with joy and caring and supports you on your journey, which He knows will be rough. And, even when it turns the hardest of hard, He is able and ready to give you peace—the kind that we can’t always comprehend because it’s beyond our realm of understanding but are assured it’s there.

Amen.

(So be it.)

            Soldiers of the Cross, continue on—never quitting! The LORD is on your side, watching over you, delighting in you, filling you with His Peace, loving you always, and carrying you when you need it. We’ll need Him for sure in this coming year!

            In closing, may I bless you with the Csehy Summer School of Music anniversary rendition of Lutkin’s The LORD Bless You & Keep You—sung as we did every evening and at concerts. You will be lifted up, but you’ll also likely shed tears—so keep your tissues handy.

 

Lutkin Benediction Virtual Choir - YouTube

(Used with permission by CSSM.)

#dreamcometrue #musiccamp #CsehySummerSchoolofMusic #CSSM #MontroseBibleConference 

#benediction #blessing #newyear #Lord #blessing #PeterLutkin

 

*“Uncle” Wilmos Csehy & Carolyn Burns (personally owned photo). 

This blog post I wish to dedicate to my sister, one of the first-year music campers!