Sing Praise!

Psalm 146:2 (NIV) I will praise the LORD all my life;
   I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

I LOVE to sing!!  Singing is a passion for me, whether it is listening to others sing or singing myself.  My favorite part is when I hear a song and it gives me chills, I LOVE THAT!  I believe I have always loved to sing but my true passion started in middle school.  I had an amazing chorus teacher and was blessed to have her from 6th grade all the way through 12th grade.  I also had the opportunity to take voice lessons from a great guy.  He is the first person I can remember that truly gave me chills singing a song.  I remember we were in a very small church in Columbia where he was in charge of the music.  It was a beautiful small church with amazing acoustics, no microphones needed.  He sang the Lord's Prayer accapella and I was almost in tears it was so beautiful.  Little did I know then, that was God's way of speaking to me.

After high school I didn't have a place to sing anymore.  I got busy with college, work, a child and husband.  Of course I continued singing but only at home, in the shower or in the car.  My husband and I kept feeling God nudging us to start attending church.  Around that same time my grandfather passed away and we attended his Celebration Service.  He didn't have the traditional funeral, we celebrated the fact he was with God in Heaven.  Once again I was back in a church and was being moved by music, God's music. They didn't sing sad songs, they sang happy praise music.  Shortly after that my husband and I started attending that church.  The first Sunday I must say was a wee bit scary for me.  I did attend church occasionally as a child and with friends but they were all very conservative.  You may have heard an "Amen" every once in a while.  Well this was the first Sunday at our new church and of course we were a little nervous.  The music started, which was contemporary praise band style, the young lady in front of us raised both of her hands in the air!!!  I was taken back because I had never seen anyone do that before.  I was actually thinking of running for the door.  Thankfully God didn't let me do that.  We continued to attend that church and after about 16 years we are still there.  A few things have changed with the church but God never has and never will. I am now on the praise team at church and have the privilege of singing about once a month. He continues to use music to speak to me.

I attend a women's bible study weekly and over the past few months God has opened my eyes.  He has opened my eyes to see just how much He does use music to speak to me, to lift my head, to encourage me. I've heard of the 5 Love Languages and understand everyone has a certain language that they like or that speaks to them more than other ways.  I'm starting to see that God also knows our true love language.  He knows exactly how to show His intimate love to each of us.  He knows I am not one to sit and read a book and feel His love jump off the pages.  I make myself read but it is not my favorite thing to do.  He knows I am not one to sit and watch a beautiful ballet and be moved to tears.  He knows just the right song to play at just the right time.  He puts a new song in my heart at just the right moment of weakness.  He knows just the right song when I need to be reminded of His mercies, of His grace, of His forgiveness, of His unconditional love, of His sacrifice for me.  He knows just the right song when I need to let my brokenness show through tears.  His songs embrace me, they move me, they comfort me.  As I sit and write this blog I am in awe of how amazing God is.  How He has brought me closer to Him and grown me in my walk of faith through song.  Through song I have learned that I can say I AM a beloved, cherished daughter of the Almighty King!

Abba Father~I thank you with all that I am for choosing me.  I thank you for never giving up on me even when I have turned from your path.  I thank you for choosing to know me so intimately.  I thank you for making our love language singing.  Most of all God, I thank you for giving your Son for me so that I may dwell in Heaven and continue to sing your praise. I will sing your praise as long as I live!  In Christ name! Amen!