How Can I Keep from Singing

God made me a singer. From very early on, I knew that’s what I wanted to be. As a very little girl, I remember sitting on my swing on Sunday mornings after church, swinging and singing songs to Jesus. 

My daddy made the swing by connecting a pole between a sawed-off tree trunk and a living tree. It was a place where I would sit all by myself and swing and sing and make up songs. It wasn't too far from the kitchen window and my mother's watchful eye, but to me I felt far away from everyone in my own little world. Even though I was very small, I remember this special place and my private time spent swinging and singing there.

Most lives are filled with some sorrow, and while my childhood and adolescence took some very bad turns, I am certain these events helped to mold me into who I am today. I honestly don’t think that I would feel the compassion and love that I have for God’s people if I had not endured all that I had to go through. 

I have always loved to sing, and enjoyed singing in my grade school choirs. During one holiday season, I remember singing - very loudly - as one of the Wise Men in a Christmas pageant at the Little House of Prayer. Naturally, I dreamed of being a big singing star. But even in these early years I realized the profound joy I felt when I sang.

It wasn’t until I was adult, and had given up my dream of stardom for the more real and tangible dreams of being a wife and mother, that I had an epiphany that would change me forever.

I realized that God made me able to sing, so that I could sing for Him.

Elation coupled with humbleness, and I wondered how I hadn’t known this truth all along. Those songs I made up as a little girl were ‘God’ songs, about the beauty of life and the world, about butterflies and blue skies on a sunny day; some of the very things I am grateful for each day of my adult life. How I wish I could remember those songs!

As I lead worship singing, or sing in the Chancel Choir at my church, I draw on years of vocal training through singing with high school and community choirs. You’d think that it would all be second nature, but I am always learning, and honing my craft.

When I sing, I have so many things to remember: how and when to breathe, annunciation, and of course, singing the proper notes and staying on my part. Sometimes I fear my imperfection, if I feel my voice isn’t up to par, or I worry if I will be able to hit that high note. Or perhaps I haven’t had adequate rehearsal time, and I fear I will make a mistake.

That’s when I pray. I give it all to God. I pray that He will empty me of me, and fill me with His Holy Spirit. Great joy fills me when I sing from my heart, and I’ve been told it shows on my face. I really can’t help it. I am a very emotional person, and I don't feel the need to hide my joy.

But there's more to this story, and my sweet sister-in-law, whom God has often used to teach me spiritual truths, explained it best. She said that I am a vessel, and that God uses me. 

I imagine it like this, as if I am an empty pitcher. God fills me with His love and His Holy Spirit, and then pours me out. When I sing, I pour out His love over His beloved children. It's His love that's reaching everyone, and I am so thrilled that He uses me in this way. 

When I feel the gentle peace of His indwelling Spirit, I am lifted beyond my earthly concerns. His peace fills me as I give it all to Him, surrendering my fears and human frailty, and I am blessed with indescribable peace and joy. 

And not surprisingly, when I'm not worrying about perfection, the singing goes along perfectly.

And it isn't just in singing that this works. Any time we hold worries and concerns too closely, we are trying to do this life all on our own. We need to surrender those thoughts and fears that trouble us and keep us from joy. When we are burdened with care, we should share our concerns with God. Just give them all to Him.

And though our problems don’t go away, our inner selves are filled with a comforting peace that assures us that all will be well. In the greater scheme of things, our little daily troubles and concerns don’t amount to much. Maintaining this perspective while keeping our thoughts with God will also help to keep our feet on the pathway to peace.

And that, my friends, is the only path I want to walk.

Let go of your troubles, concerns, fears and hardships and allow God to fill you with all that He is. 


When we do, we can begin to heal, and move toward a more perfect peace in Him.

Just Say Thank You

Sunday Scripture

and a

Song

"We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus."

Acts 14:11 NLT

Our song today: I wake up with these words and this melody in my head 

on so many mornings lately, so I thought I'd share it with you.

MIKESCHAIR "All I Can Do"

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Thank you!

And if you would like to find more that I am thankful for, 

read on to my previous post "Late Summer Beauty" 

written August 23rd 

And remember - to be thankful.

This one life

Is all we are given. 

Find beauty

Everywhere

and 

Give Thanks.

Blessings, my friends

Late Summer Beauty

I watched as raindrops fell in earnest, and then I noticed the maple leaves. They were moving in a dance of sorts, but there was no wind. They shimmered and fluttered, and I discovered that the source of their movement was the raindrops. Each droplet hitting the flat leaf surface caused it to move independently of the leaf next to it. There was no wind to move the leaves. Just rain. And lots of it.

There is beauty everywhere, if we will just pause long enough to see it.

On a sunny day, a fluttering shadow seen from the corner of my vision turned out to be a lovely yellow swallowtail butterfly. August seems to be their season, and they love my hanging baskets. I’ve seen then in springtime, too, as they dance upon the late blooming lilacs. Then they seem to disappear until summer is nearly over. I wonder where they go.

An early migrating flock of robins paused for a few days in our yard just recently. They are the harbingers of springtime, and come by the dozens as the ground warms, offering worms for their feast; as they in turn offer their delightful songs as a feast for my winter weary ears.

But this flock was migrating back through in mid-August, and they decided my bird bath was the place to be. They encircled the bird bath, on branches and twigs, on peonies and the soft, green grass. Each one in turn, splashing and playing as they bathed in the cool water. One time, two got in the bath at the same time! I’ve never seen that before. Usually they are fairly territorial, at least at bath time.

On another day, a bright red cardinal decided to check out the bird bath. He stood at one edge, and gracefully leaped to the other side, managing to drag his little feet in the water as he crossed over it. Was he testing the water? It seemed so, as he decided it was ‘just right’, and hopped in for a bath. Splashing and fluffing, once he was done, he glided straight up to a branch above the birdbath to primp his feathers and dry them off.

There has been a fat hummingbird moth poking its head into my little petunias. His wings move so quickly, and his fat little body seems awkward for those tiny wings. But oh how he delights in those purple petunias, diving into each one in turn, burying his pointed head to sip a little nectar while I water the plants in the garden around him. And because I am watering when I see him, I never have my camera with me, so I haven't been able to capture a picture of him yet.

Our little family of hummingbirds returned this year, though I'm pretty sure the patriarch of years past no longer survived the journey. He was looking a little haggard last year, and the little hummers here this summer look very youthful. I hope these young summer visitors know the routine. In years past, my hummingbird friends always came to the window to say goodbye; and I think, maybe, to say "thank you" for the sweet sugar water I've given them all summer. They hover outside my office window, which is on the other side of the house from their feeder, as if they are letting me know they are off to new adventures. It is always bittersweet for me to see them go, as it signals the end of summer. Cooler winds will soon bring great changes to the landscape.

For now, the summer sun beats down, and the grass needs cutting again. My flowers are still dazzling in their summer show, and every day there are tomatoes to pick from the vegetable garden.

Quiet Sunday afternoon naps in the hammock bring a peace that can’t be found in the dead of winter. There is so much beauty to behold. Pause, and breathe in all that summer has for us to enjoy. These are the gifts of our Creator, given for us to enjoy in this world. As summer slips away, I savor the flavor and taste of summer, and I relish the warmth and the beauty of stepping out into a warm summer day.

The morning dew is heavy on the grass now as the nights become cooler again. The seasons seem to change much more quickly now than when I was young. I embrace the change, but also want to hold onto this slice of life that is summer, for at least a little bit longer. 

Have No Fear

I used to have such fear. And fear made me worry. Sometimes I worried about things to the point that I felt ill. Mostly, I worried about the safety of my three young sons. I wasn’t a ‘helicopter parent’ –- well, maybe I was with my firstborn, but the term hadn't been invented yet 26 years ago. 

I was very watchful, and as my boys will be sure to tell you, I was overprotective. But truthfully, you have to let some of that go when you have a household full of boys. Those of you who know boys understand that boys are very physical and always active. Of course there was danger in their roughhousing, but if I worried about every little thing they were doing – or might do -- I would drive myself crazy.

Mainly I worried that something really bad would happen to them. I feared for their safety. I felt that if anything ever happened to them, I couldn’t live without them; that I wouldn’t want to live without them. They were part of me, my own flesh and blood, and I loved them more than I ever knew I could.

I remember walking along under clear Texas skies talking with God. We talked a lot during those long, solitary walks. I told Him of my deep fear of loss, and He listened. I thanked Him every day for my sweet little boys, and prayed for patience so I that I could be a better mother. Oh, yes, I prayed for more patience every single day.

As I grew in my faith, I finally realized that my beautiful sons were really God’s; that I had been given the honor and privilege of raising them and loving them, but ultimately, they were God’s children.

I held so tightly to my responsibility of raising my sweet boys. I loved my sons so much, and letting them go into the world without my protection filled my heart with fear and dread.

One day, God spoke to me through my thoughts, and He told me that I had to let go. I had to trust my boys to His care. I took a few days to think about relinquishing this control that I thought I had over their lives and their safety.

Bravely, during one of my walks, I tearfully named each one of them, and gave them back to God. I knew that He loved them as much as I did, and that I could release my fears and trust in God to watch over them.

Knowing God was in control gave me a feeling of peace and freed my worried mind. I was able to live without fear for my boys’ safety. Not that I never worried again, but I learned to focus on God's provision, and I began to learn about trust. It took practice, and believing that no matter what happened, my sons were in God’s hands.

Since the day I gained my freedom from fear by learning to trust in God, He has continued His work in me, especially in the area of trust. Now I am the one going out into the world, away from my home and family, and I know that God will always be with me.

I think the world is an even scarier place now than it was when my boys were small. It was during their middle and high schools years that the Columbine tragedy happened, and then so many other school shootings followed.

Every day when my boys left for school, I wondered if they would come home to me. But I couldn’t live in fear. That was what the enemy wanted. I knew that to live in fear would crush my creativity and my zest for life, so I gave it all to God. I prayed for their safety, and released my fears to His great love.

Our fourth son is now a teenager, learning to drive and beginning to be out in the world away from us more and more. I lean on my understanding of God’s presence in my life, and His great love for all of us, when I need to let go.

Recent events at the Sandy Hook Elementary School have shaken me to the core. I still struggle with the senseless violence that destroyed that community’s peace and tore apart families when so many precious lives were lost. I’ve struggled with this along with the rest of the nation, and indeed the world, but I can’t let this fear control my life.

There is no doubt that there is evil in this world. And some people focus on these and other tragic events to point out that there is no hope for humankind. They’ve bought into the fear and they perpetuate it. 

I am the eternal optimist, and I believe there is much more good in the world than evil. I see this in my life everyday, and in my community, as people reach out to help one another. This goodness comes from God, and if we look, we will find it in the world and in the people around us.

I’ve learned to let go of my fears, to trust in God with all that I can’t carry alone. My sons would argue that I still worry too much, but I know the truth. I know how much of my fears are released to my God who I know is always near.

I don’t know why these tragedies occur, but I do know the evil one would relish us living in fear of what will happen next. We cannot succumb to the fear in this world. The only way to live in peace in our own spirit is to connect with a higher power of goodness and Light. My Savior not only freed me from sin. He frees me every day to make the choice to live in peace and harmony.

The world can be a tragic place. Lives are cut short and danger abounds. But the world is also a beautiful place, full of love and people who understand the preciousness of life. We need to make the choice to rise above fear and live fearlessly through trusting God.

Each of us must make our own way, but we shouldn’t try to do it alone. Rest in His peace, so that we may be free to live in the joy we were meant to have here on this earth.

Up, Up and Away!

Sunday Scripture

and a

Song

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

James 4:10 (NIV)

Last weekend I arose before the sun, and drove to Waterford, WI to see the launching of the hot air balloons during the Waterford Balloon Festival. Arriving a little late, I saw several balloons already aloft and climbing in the early morning light. This was the last balloon to launch, and I watched as it quickly gained altitude.

 But before it could rise, it had to be filled with air. The balloon starts out laying flat on the ground. A large fan begins to blow cold air into the envelope, or balloon fabric, and during this process the balloon is tethered to the ground -- to a pick-up truck, actually. In addition, two people hold long ropes also connected to the top of the balloon.  

Once the balloon is inflated, the pilot begins to heat the air inside the balloon with the propane burner. As the balloon gains buoyancy, the pilot yells "weight!" and someone runs to the basket to lay their weight on it to keep the balloon from rising until it is ready.

It's possible to think of ourselves similarly to this balloon. We may start out feeling flat, or unfulfilled. As we go through life, we begin to gain confidence in ourselves, but we can't achieve satisfaction in life completely on our own. We may feel stuck, much like the tethered balloon, and we can't go any further. We are tossed by the troubles of life, buffeted by the rising winds of difficulties we face, with no way to cope.

When we feel the Light of Christ in us, just like the flame on the burner of the balloon, we expand with the possibilities of what we were created for. Little by little, we gain buoyancy in our lives until we feel confident we can handle whatever comes at us, as long as Christ is with us. 

If we begin by humbling ourselves before God, then He will lift us up. He will show us the way to live. And though we are buffeted by the winds of change, we can remain steadfast in the One who lifts us up.

 
It takes a team to launch a big hot air balloon. And it takes relationship with Christ to gain perspective for our life. When we humble ourselves before God, and admit that we cannot do this life on our own, He will lift us up. And through our prayers, and by developing trust in God, we can gain guidance to follow wherever the winds of life may take us.

Today's song is by a band called The Afters, and is called "Lift Me Up". 

Enjoy, God Bless.

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