Singing In Church

I recently had the opportunity to sing the special at all three services of my church. I've been singing since I was about 5 years old. I remember my dad getting his first guitar. He would sit on the edge of the piano bench at church and play while the three of us sang. My older sister Heather could play the piano beautifully, and the house was filled with my mother's singing voice. I can still hear her singing Bringing In The Sheaves as she rocked us to sleep. 

Okay so you get the point...I've grown up around singing and music. It was known by my parents, at an early age that God gave me the gift of singing. When I was in the 4th grade I joined my first choir. It was so much fun. I learned how to be an alto (thanks to the most amazing teacher Glenn Greg). I could pick out harmony notes just like that and remember those weird notes we altos have to sing a lot. It was fun... it still is. 

I've wanted to sing for my church since I started going in June of 2006. I joined the choir (thanks to Beverly Malone) and have enjoyed making those people my family. Besides Sunday's my second favorite day of the week is Wednesday. I tell my husband I go to praise the Lord, love on some special choir members, and to be loved by them. Still I didn't feel like it was enough. Erin Stinbridge joined about a year or two after me. She has an amazing alto voice that can hit some pretty high notes. I'm still not sure why she's not a soprano. I'm also sure its because of her that we've been able to have this opportunity. We were paired together to sing this past Sunday. We both share the same nervousness of singing in front of people. If you can get that first note out your fine. I got tickled at us fighting over who was going to start the song. I got voleen"told", as they say, since she started the last song we sang together. 

The performance went well and I enjoyed all three times we had to sing. One thing I noticed was our choir director standing in the back of the sanctuary for each service. As I left the church that day I began to wonder why he did that. Was he feeling like a proud papa because we were an extension of his choir? Had he not ever heard the song and liked it? Just as I was asking myself that I remembered his smile while we sang. Mitch is always cheerful and has a positive light about him. My thoughts were directed at another proud papa that day. You see God was listening too. Erin and I were both nervous. It's just because you want to get it right. You know hit every note and be on pitch. While I think we did excellent. God gave me a peace as I left church Sunday. God told me in the parking lot, "Good job my sweet child. Just know that your obedience means more to me than you hitting every noted perfectly." See God loves me and cares for me deeply. He wishes nothing but the best for me. It's not how good I am but the fact that I allow him to work through me for the betterment of the other sweet child he loves...that's you! 

Jeremiah 29:11-13

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "Plans for your welfare, not disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me, and come and pray to Me. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."