Ruth Owens

Countless Blessings Ruth Owens

Oh, the Sundays when the powerful voices of "Wings Over Jordan" flooded, no, bombarded every house in the neighborhood. Perhaps sun oozed into our parlors or rain beat down the roses in each yard. Perhaps, the snow fell in white layers on the pavements, porches, yards of our houses but the melodic voices of our talented brothers and sisters encouraged us to go on and on and on. I'm sure this was what inspired Papa to go each day for long hours to barber, what inspired him to keep on keeping on. What made us all go ever forward in our every day happenings since, in these wonderful, inspirational songs, always introduced with, "Go Down Moses, Way down in Egypt Land. Tell Ole Pharaoh to let my people go!" our lives were peaceful because all was well with our souls. These great, grand spirituals gave this all-Black community a promise of hope and the expectancy of good things to come. To us, that was what it all was about.