Last evening during our family worship time my husband reinstated a time of singing for our family. If you know me at all, you know I can’t sing well. Which is actually an understatement, it is very possibly my singing could be used in a torture chamber to push the enemy into submission. It’s not that I have a fear of singing, it’s just that I don’t sing well…at all.
You may think I am over reacting on this singing thing, but trust me I am not. If you ever need to be brought out of a great depression by a roaring good laugh just ask me to sing. Don’t get me wrong, I love music, songs and I even LOVE to sing, but the only places I can sing without worry of someone near me falling out is at very loud concerts and in my vehicle, but in only those two places. At church I sing as soft as possible, some may even thing I am lip syncing. I have always teasingly said that I am not sure what I am going to do in heaven since I can’t sing. I am so glad carrying a tune on perfect pitch is not a requirement to enter heaven.
If you saw the recent animated movie Alpha and Omega, Garth the Wolf can’t howl and is often called “Barf”, I could so relate to Barf Garth in many ways. When he attempted to howl it was such a horrific noise that birds dropped dead out of the sky. I have a similar effect when I attempt to sing, people fall out. If they sit in front of me once, they don’t ever do it again.
It would be nice if there were some treatment option I could sign up for or just take a pill to fix my voice, but there is a way out and my dear husband continues to point me in that way.
The other morning he told me we were going to start singing during our family worship time again. I pouted like a little kid, because I don’t like to sing, because I can’t. He said my bad attitude about singing was wearing off on the kids and that is why they don’t like to go to choir or sing. That singing to God isn’t about singing on perfect pitch and in tune but that the worship comes from our heart. UGH! Excuse me? I’m to blame? I have corrupted my children? Ashamedly, I knew it was true, my bad attitude was corrupting my children’s view of singing praises to the Lord. So I said those three little words that are so hard to say to a spouse…”you are right”. Like my grandpa says Darryl just “sat there like a lump on a log”. So I said it again to make sure he heard me, “you are right…you are right, how many times do I have to say it?” He was soaking in those words like a tea bag soaking in water.
Later that day, the time to for worship came. Guess what my wise husband gave devotion on? Yes you got it! Singing. The Bible says a lot about singing especially in the Psalms like:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! (95:1)
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth into joyous song and sing praises! (98:4)
Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly! (149:1)
Well the Lord had it right on with me when he said noise, I just don’t know if it is so joyful, but I am sure it would qualify as a new song…one so off pitch and out of tune that not even the music minister would know what song I was singing.
Well it took us probably 15 minutes to decide on a song to sing! 15 minutes! During the time we were trying to agree on a song we all knew, Jayden was performing “Hero” by Skillet for us, which I actually preferred. Can we just count that as our time of singing? We finally decided on “Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Savior, I know for sure all of my days are held in your hand, crafted into your perfect plan.” I don’t even know the name of the song but that is how it goes. As soon as we tried to make a joyful noise, Jayden’s giggle box got turned over. This made the rest of us start laughing especially when we were howling out the words, I laughed so hard I almost cried. Finally after we laughed for another 15 minutes, we finally got the song out. It’s okay because laughter is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22) and a joyful heart makes a cheerful face (15:13). I then read on the web that:
Laughter lowers the levels of cortisol in the body. Cortisol suppresses the immune system. Lowering these levels enhances the work of the immune system and may prevent disease. <since cold and flu season is here, this could be a good thing>
You can stimulate your heart and lungs, elevate your blood pressure and improve breathing capacity by laughing. <which could help with singing>
In terms of exercise, you can get the same benefits from laughing 100 times a day, as you can from 10 minutes of rowing. <this I love>
15 minutes of laughter equals the benefit of 2 hours sleep. <wow, I really need to laugh more>
One good belly laugh burns off 3 1/2 calories. <are you sure you don’t want me to sing for you?>
Laughing for 15 seconds adds 2 days to your life span. <I figured I added 30 days to my lifespan last night>
Yet there is hope! Barf Garth eventually learns to sing because he sings from his heart. I sing from my heart too but I still sound like a dragon, but I have the hope one day when I reach my eternal home that my voice will be healed, I will sing perfectly in pitch and tone, until then I will continue to make a joyful NOISE. I look forward to when my voice will not be "defective". When I can be confident and at ease singing and praising my Lord unhindered. When my voice matches what is in my heart. That will be the day!
Until then I will praise His name deep within my heart. I will quit crying around that I can’t sing and I will do my best to look forward to singing at night during our devotions. He is not only able to change our minds, but He is able to change our desires. As I spend time with Him in His Word and as I seek a fresh and new perspective on singing a new song, as He changes the way I think through His Truths, I am finding He is already changing my “wanter”.
I pray:
That my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:11-12)
P.S. - If you hear something at night wailing, don't fear it is not the tornado sirens, it is me making a joyful noise unto the Lord!
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