This past 2022 Good Friday event at Lincoln was amazing. I got tears in my eyes seeing that cat of nine tails that they used on our Savior. All of it was very impressive and impactful. I am deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to that experience. Everything was very well done.
Before I make my little confession, let me say that I have been taking voice lessons for a year or two with Andrea Shakespeare and one of my goals has been to lift up praise to our Lord. The down side to that is that often I find myself trying to sing with excellence and lose focus on the words I am singing.
I entered the worship service quietly a few minutes late because I had been so interested in the displays. As a result, I sat in a different spot near the back. When we began to sing, I had an unwelcome thought. I hoped that someone would compliment my singing. I dismissed that thought and reminded myself to be humble. As I continued singing, I heard this sweet angelic singing right behind me. Not knowing who it was I decided to compliment the child. I turned around to see that it was Adalyne, one of the girls in my TeamKid group on Wednesday night. I whispered that she was singing beautifully and she blushed.
At the end of the service, two different women told me how beautiful my voice was. I felt like God understood my need for affirmation and fulfilled it. Yet this came after I turned my focused outward and simply focused on being an encouragement to others. In a small and simple way, it reminded me of the truth of this verse.
“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
When we simply make it our aim to delight in the Lord and love Him and others, God will take care of us. He knows our needs and knows how to best fulfill them and does it in a way that shapes our character.