[Inspired Thursdays, v.5] Sing a Joyful Song

I have been a closet songstress for years now. I love singing. I sing in the car, in the shower, on the treadmill (at home)...and I mean belting it out, y'all. But I don't ever let people hear me sing. If I'm in the car with someone and my jam comes on the radio, I turn my head toward the window and baby sing it out. I just gotta, but on the low-low.

Church was no exception. I stood up, crossed my arms in discomfort, and moved my mouth while keeping my eyes firmly affixed to the hymn book or screen to catch the lyrics. We grew up attending a conservative Southern California church, so worship wasn't exactly the jazzy, jovial expression more commonly seen in churches these days anyway. But I was not having the singing. I dreaded worship time and sometimes even hoped we would miss that part of service (which we often did thanks to Dad and his two-hour morning showers). It's terrible to have felt that way, and it saddens me that I didn't understand the blessing of praising God by lifting up our voices.

Now? I sing like I can! (I like to imagine that I secretly have a voice like Idina's, but no one will ever know.) (I don't. And they won't.) Once I started listening to contemporary Christian music in my car, I found that I actually knew the songs they were playing in church. (Shocking, I know.) I didn't even have to look at the screen! I figured it wasn't all that much different from singing in the car to these songs, and before I knew it, I found myself looking so forward to Sundays and singing with fellow believers. It wasn't just that I was singing, but that I finally understood that God planted this love in my heart, and his church inspired me to embrace it, both on Sundays and everyday. Just in time for Christmas, too. Who wants to go caroling?!

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I may sound like a pack-of-cigs-smokin'-a-day kitty when I let it out, but I am filled with joy to know that at least one listener digs my vocal stylings. And He's the most important critic, anyway.