Light, Love, Hope

Thank you, God, for my voice.  Thank you for the ability to lift my voice to praise you in song.

I first fell in love with music in Chorus during my middle school years.  There wasn’t much I enjoyed in those days, as my world was in turmoil.  However, I could get lost in music.  Turning it up, soaking in all of the words of the songs, and matching my pitch to that of the artist singing it …

Mr. Brown, God rest his soul, was my music teacher.  He encouraged me and never made me feel like I wasn’t good enough or should stifle my voice for anyone.  I remember standing with the rest of my classmates and him choosing me to sing a solo piece.  I have never been an outgoing person, so it took a lot for this shy little girl to open her mouth and express herself through song.  Mr. Brown was pleased with my abilities so much so that he gave me a solo piece which was televised from the school.  How exciting to be on television at that age!  I’ll never forget Mr. Brown and will forever appreciate how he molded me and trained me in Chorus.

While I never learned to read music where I could play an instrument with ease, I enjoyed lifting my voice in song.  Soprano is the range I’m most comfortable with, specifically First Soprano.  While I can sing Second Soprano and maybe even a little Alto, I tend to always go higher.  It’s a blessing and a curse all in one.  What I mean by that is it’s such a blessing that God has allowed this range for my voice.  The curse comes in when it isn’t always appreciated.  Whether I’m told I’m “too high” or “sharp” or “need to come down some,” First Soprano is the range I’m most comfortable with and will go to every time.  For some, this is extremely hard to reach.  However, I reach it with great ease.  My daughter does as well, and I love to hear her sing!  We sang together in a rock and roll band before, and that was an extremely proud moment for me to be able to sing with my daughter!

I’ve come a long way since the shy little girl in Chorus years ago.  I’m now the lead singer in two rock and roll bands hitting high notes as those made famous by Journey and even some Led Zeppelin, if you can believe it.  Even if I can’t follow by someone playing a note on the piano or guitar like I used to be able to do, if I can “hear” the song being sung, I can follow and then lead.

Just recently, we started attending a new church.  In doing so, they have classes to get to know more about the church, what they believe in, etc.  Also, there’s an assessment you can take in order to find out what your spiritual gifts are and where you would excel “serving” at the church.  As you can imagine, music was where I was the strongest, so they put me in touch with the music leader to audition.  I felt so old at this point because the performance track CDs I had sung with years ago at another church were no longer used.  Instead, you could get “tracks” from Apple Music or other platforms to use via Bluetooth through the system.  I could not find that particular track as we used to sing it, though.  The ones I found were slower in tempo, and I wanted to sing it just as I remembered it from back in 2009.  The song I chose was “Holy Ground,” although the music leader at the church corrected me saying the reason I could not find it is because it’s called “We Are Standing On Holy Ground.”  Maybe so, but the particular version of the song I sang in 2009 was entitled “Holy Ground” and was in the songbook as such.  Nevertheless, the day of my audition, I took my CD in with the performance track for “Holy Ground;’ however, the music leader did not use it.  Instead, he chose to have me start singing while he joined in playing on the piano.  That was beautiful to have someone actually play it for me, and I felt really good about it with giving God all of the glory and honor.  Fast forward a few months, and I have completed all but one requirement to be on the worship team at church.  The last will be fulfilled when they have a large group together to attend a service at another church nearby to have them model what they are hoping to accomplish at our church.  In the meantime, though, I have been allowed to stand on the platform and sing during the worship portion of the service.  It’s been interesting to see how things are “behind the scenes.”  I have now experienced using in-ear monitors, whereas with the rock and roll bands I’m in, we just turn up the music and adjust that way as needed.  Both work!  While I’m the lead singer in the rock and roll bands, I don’t lead in the worship songs.  Instead, I sing harmony, and it is beautiful when all of our voices blend together.  I was asked recently by another member of the worship team why I haven’t lead a song, but it hasn’t been assigned to me and that is okay.  I have just been happy lifting my voice in song to worship God and usher others into His presence.  I’ve seen how things change from practice on Wednesday nights to Sunday morning when we arrive for rehearsal before the first service also.  While you “thought” you had it right during the Wednesday rehearsal and practice with your recording from that night, it changes for one reason or another on Sunday morning.  I have just had to roll with it two Sundays in a row now.  It’s a little disheartening when you really thought you had it right just to have it change up right before you are to perform.  Then you are expected to smile and try to be comfortable on the platform as you implement the change you just learned was deemed necessary from that which you rehearsed Wednesday through 7 a.m. Sunday morning.  Alas, you do the best you can, and I always make sure to pause for personal prayer before I step out onto that platform.  I am not sure how long I will be a member of this worship team, but for now, I am giving it all I have for God’s glory.

I still thank Mr. Brown for encouraging a little shy Seventh grader to share her voice with the world.  It matters how you speak to people.  It could make their little lights shine or it could make their light go out completely.  Don’t be the reason someone no longer desires to share their gifts with the world.  Instead, be an encouragement just like Mr. Brown was, and then you will watch as the little bud opens up into a beautiful flower on a warm spring day.

Ephesians 5:19 (NIV):

“Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord”.