A New Song

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright
to praise Him.
Praise the Lord with a Harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
Psalm 33:1-3 (NIV)

When I was a child I always felt that my talent defined me. I wasn't good at sports. I wasn't a straight A student. I wasn't beautiful to anyone other than my family. I certainly wasn't a social butterfly. The one thing that I had was a passion for music. Especially church music. It didn't matter if it was a hymn, the choir anthem, or some silly Sunday school song I loved what I heard. The melodies, the harmonies, and especially the words
were all a part of me. As I grew older I realized that there was more to me than music but I also realized what a great responsibility I had as a member of a church choir. I remembered that as a child I would cling to the words that I would hear. Songs that spoke of the love that God has for us. The songs that told the story of Jesus and all that He has done for us. I delighted in the knowledge that we can trust in God's promises and that His
word will never change. These are some things that I may not have heard if they hadn't been accompanied by music. They, to me, would have remained words. I realized that it was my job to give someone like myself the opportunity to hear the word.

Not too long ago I was in a bad place in my life. I felt lost and very alone. I had even forgotten the way to church. The music had left me. Even when I did find my way back my talent did not. I found myself saying, "I don't get it" a lot. What once seemed easy was now a frustration. Rather than praising God I found myself apologizing to Him. Frustration turned into anger and finally at my breaking point I screamed, "What do You want from me!" "What do You want me to do?" The answer was that He wanted more
from me. He wanted a commitment. He wanted me to come down from the balcony and make my presence known. He wanted me to take on new challenges. He wanted me to remember my baptism. Not just the promises He had made to me, but also the promises I had made to Him. He wanted me to learn a new song and sing it loudly for all to hear. It is a long process and I am sure that I will stumble along the way. I have learned that when we come down from our hiding places we find that there are other people to lean on so that we never feel alone.

Dear Lord, I thank you for the blessing of music in my life. Thank you for the gift of new friends and new challenges even when they seem too hard and that I may fail. Thank you for holding my hand along the way. Thank you for the songs that remind us of Your love. Thank you for new opportunities to sing to You a new song.

In Jesus name we pray,
Amen
Rebecca Parker