My favorite part of church is the singing. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the sermon or the fellowship, but there is something so uplifting about praising God through song. Songs seem to move me more than anything else ever could. If I find my body has entered the sanctuary but my mind is still outside, “Come into the Holy of Holies” immediately reminds me why I’m there.
The song leader sang a beautiful song I’d never heard before, “The River.” Talk about moving! It reminded me of how I used to be afraid of the water, before I learned to swim. Now I swim like the proverbial fish and find it hard to believe I used to be so terrified. I remember taking swimming lessons as a small child, and we had to jump off the high dive before we completed the course. The first year I took the lessons, I couldn’t do it. The next year, I jumped off enthusiastically and have been rushing headlong into the water ever since.
When I heard that song, I realized what a wonderful correlation walking with God is to swimming lessons. In the beginning, we’re hesitant to jump in, but in time, we leap in wholeheartedly, knowing our Father is right there beside us and in control. Thank God we answer the call to risk it all as the song says or we’d be stuck on the high dive. Worse yet, we’d be in the middle of the river, ever widening, never slowing, up a creek without a paddle in the worse possible conditions.
I’m glad I learned to swim and I’m glad I chose to jump off that high dive. But nothing I do will ever compare with the joy I have of knowing God. Of being assured He is in control and has a plan. And His plan includes me.
I also love the music at church. I am the one who leads the music at this time, because no one else wants to do it. I also play the guitar and sing specials. We have a man in our church who has a mental condition, He loves to sing, and always wants to sing with me. And I would never tell him no. I was invited to sing at the library last Friday, and when I walked in the door, there he was, He said , ” Can I sing with you?” I said you sure can. Everyone at the library was surprised when I called him up to sing with me. My thought is, ” If I turn this special man down, I would be thinking just to much of myself, and the gift God gave me.” I love to sing.
Great story! I love that you let him sing with you. It says to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, but it doesn’t say it has to be good.