Well, we got some fluffy, grainy snow today. And people on the road went nuts. I was trying to get to the grocery store for some last-minute items, and the roads were absolutely fine. But other drivers saw the teeny little flakes and lost their farm excrement and started driving about 10 mph on a 35 mph roadway. Lovely. It is so hard to keep my patience in those situations, let me tell you. I am definitely my father’s daughter.

I got the opportunity to sing in church tonight, a song lifted up as an offering to the Lord. I sung Ave Maria in latin. I have studied songs in latin, but never actually sang them in front of others. This is kind of a big deal to me, because I studied voice since I was 17,  including college level vocals in front of panels of instructors. I kept straight A’s, pretty much because I was blessed that they usually always picked (out of the 4 prepared) the one I was most proficient at and never picked Handel. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Handel, but singing a sixteen measure run in one breath ain’t gonna happen for this girl.

I spent several days this past week preparing. Breathing exercises, pronunciation and syncopation…but had to remind myself that this was a love offering for Christ. Not for a grade or a score. My voice was a gift from God, and He will choose how long I get the opportunity to serve Him with it. I am grateful that all God was really looking for was the condition of my heart. In fact, in any endeavour that we undertake, God first looks at the heart; what is going on? Am I doing this to please others, myself or God? God certainly loves praises lifted up to Him, but He also knows we are human with frailty and that we need rest and nourishment of body, mind and soul. If those things are in balance, then our service is more likely to be a pleasing aroma and not a desperate attempt to keep up appearances or to keep us in good with God and not disappoint Him with what we perceive is our flakey behavior.

God knows us inside, upside and through and through. He loves us regardless of all our junk. I knew that my voice was not where is was 20 years ago. I also knew that I would get a fraction of the time it would actually take to properly prepare with the accompanist. But we pulled it together and God was glorified. I did it for His glory, and that meant being okay with things being less that textbook. I suited up, showed up and let Him do the rest.

Thank you Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of the manger, which led to the cross.

Amen.