Lessons From My Mom's Singing

I could easily write a book based on lessons I've learned from my mother, but for this particular post, I'm going to focus on this one particular aspect. I'll get to my mom's influence later on.

Back when Saturday Night Live was pretty funny, you may have seen this particular sketch featuring some...ehhhh, singing?



Now with this in your head, (sorry about that), I want to tell you about a man who sat near me last night in my Monday night bible study. Much like the Frankenstein character in this clip, this gentleman pretty much sang one note no matter which song was being sung, and no matter which key it was in. What was particularly stunning about this, aside from the obvious, is that the note he chose was the one note not to be found in any of the songs which were sung. It was amazing!

But before you click away, shaking your head at my music snobbery, let me now tell you about the lesson I learned from my mother.

My mom was not blessed with a talent for singing. This is no joke. When she would sing around the house, the dog would bark at her. One morning, my mom called me at work. She had just gotten done with her personal quiet time with the Lord. During this private time, she felt compelled to sing a song. Not just any song. She was making it up as she went. She was simply expressing her thoughts from her heart. After doing so, she wanted to share it with me. So, in that moment while I was sitting at my desk at work, I listened to my mom squeak out some notes. I heard a sweet melody in her song, and the most tender words ever.

I was very blessed by her sweet spirit. I didn't hear her feeble voice this time, but her angelic heart. In that moment, I felt a certain degree of enlightenment in my heart. It was in that moment that I realized that God doesn't hear what we hear. Singers are a dime a dozen. Watch American Idol. For good television, they like to show you the really horrible singers, but they weed out thousands and thousands of singers who really can sing. What God hears is the condition of our heart. My mom wouldn't last 2 seconds in a talent contest. But what God hears is something He can't get enough of. He would rather listen to my mom warble out her words of love and tenderness with an almost incoherent melody line, than a singer who can decorate their entire mansion in gold records, but has a heart of stone.

So, if singing isn't something you would even dream of doing in public, and if the dog barks at you...lift up your voice to God. He's your biggest fan, and He longs to hear you belt it out!