Tonight, while I was working, I was listening to Sam Cooke songs on Napster. His rendition of "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" came on, a version I hadn't heard before. Now, when I think of this song, as I suspect many people do, I think of it as it is portrayed in the Lion King, all sad and gloomy and with a lot of woe is me angst. I've always thought of it as a self pity song. But in Sam Cooke's version, the tempo and vocals are much more cheerful and he ends the main riff with "glory, Hallelujah!" At first this seemed to be somewhat of an odd phrase to add to the song, but then I changed my perspective of the lyrics and it made perfect sense.

When sung as a praise, it could be taken to mean he recognizes the hardships he's had to go through in life, and is grateful that no one else has had to endure it. This would imply that although he is struggling on the inside, on the outside he still appears strong. Not a fake strength to put on a happy face, but a strength that can only be found in having the joy of the Lord. It reminded me of the passage where Jesus instructed people not to tear their clothes and put on sackcloth when they mourn, as was the custom. Just because we're going through hard times it doesn't mean we should throw ourselves pity parties and let everyone know about our trouble. This is not to say that we can not employ the help of trusted and faithful friends when necessary. But the purpose of our trials is not to gain the sympathy of others, but to produce endurance, according to the book of James. It is my prayer that I can sing joyfully about the troubles I've seen and, when reflecting on them, cry out "glory, Hallelujah!"