From: Nancy Holland (Lancaster, KY)
It seems as though every time in my life I have said, “I don’t feel comfortable doing this or this is not what I like to do,” God shows me who is in control and who is not!
You would think as a “Preachers Kid” I would have been in choir and taken part in many events in church. Wrong! I was begged and pleaded with and the fingernails just dug in a little more to the top of the wooden pew as I screamed, “No, leave me alone”! I liked my comfortable pew and did not like getting up in front of anyone much less than having to speak or sing. Although I did love music very much, I loved to play the piano, clarinet, and oboe and I liked to sing to myself in my safe cozy room at home. Needless to say, I told myself many times growing up I would never ever sing in a church choir or sing in front of a congregation. That was for the people that had beautiful voices and formal training in music. So for many years I sat in my pew and enjoyed the music and the message the choir and instrumentalist had to give.
It was not until a couple of years ago when our choir director came back to my comfortable pew and ask me the dreaded question, “Would you like to sing in the choir?” Of course you could just imagine my answer. To my surprise I said, “I need to think about this a pray what God wants me to do.” After the choir director left, I thought to myself, “What did you say? You said you would think and pray about something you have dreaded doing?” Yes, to my own amazement I was actually excited about the thought of worshiping God through music and if that was not all, it was getting up in front of the congregation to do it!
As I came to the next choir practice, I took a seat in the choir loft and it was very comfortable. I finally had said, “Yes” but not to anyone but to God. I have found that I love singing in the choir and sharing the message of God’s love to others. I have also found that no matter how rough and coarse my voice may be by itself, the rest of the beautiful voices in the choir help it sound much better. Now I have gotten to be in two Christmas cantatas and I sing in the morning choir for church service. The wooden pews do not show my fingernail marks anymore and I try not to say the emphasis word, “No”! I just try to remember why I am here on this beautiful earth. God has placed all of us here to bring praise and glory to Him. How in the world can you get excited about His love and just sit in that comfortable pew every church day? I am glad I finally heard God speaking to me and showing me that I am not the one in control.
