Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
Psalm 96
Meet my friend Dan!!!
Dan and John at our Potter's Wheel Christmas Pageant last year!!! They were shepherds!
Dan is on the left! He is a Potter's Wheel Student! (Potter's Wheel is a Sunday School Class for Adults with Disabilities!) I have been volunteering with Potter's Wheel for about a year and a half now!
Dan is 57 this year, and works as a janitor at a local church. On Sundays, his brother drives him to church because Dan does not drive! Dan also doesn't read... at least very well from what I can tell. It takes him a great deal of time and energy to read sentences, and sometimes he just recites from memory. When talking with Dan, it takes a little while for him to formulate what he wants to say. I have learned patience in these moments, and though it has been a process, I now love those conversations. Dan thinks so very hard about what he is saying before he utters a single word!
Our friendship has grown this past year!!!
We have Potter's Wheel from 9:30-10:30am on Sunday mornings, and then we walk to the bigger service together for Church. Church is fast... songs are fast, scripture is fast, transitions are fast, speaking is fast... All soooo very quick for Dan to process! Oftentimes he will fall asleep! Not because he does not care, but I think honestly because it is all soooo fast, it makes it difficult for him to follow.
BUT what Dan does is SING!
He can't quite read the lyrics, but some he has memorized. This Sunday we sang, "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus," and while you can't quite tell exactly WHAT he's singing, boy does he sing! You can only make out a word or two, BUT he sings to the tune of the song. And he sings loud! I love listening to Dan sing to our God!!! It is some of the most BEAUTIFUL music I have ever heard. Honest, authentic, REAL!
Do you sing??? Would you today???
Sing to the Lord... However, wherever! Cry out to OUR God! Let him comfort you. Sing out of tune to Him. Praise His Name! Scream! Celebrate! SHOUT!!! Cry! Go to the Lord and just let your voice be heard in ANY way that needs to happen today. He knows our hearts, He knows our voices... HE KNOWS US!!!
Standing next to Dan on Sunday mornings is sweet... The most tender worship! Maybe the sweetest sound I hear each week... the sound of his heart praising his Creator in TOTAL authenticity!!!
I want to be more like my friend Dan!!!
Today, I want to Sing... Out of tune, loudly, and with total abandon!!!