Showers of Blessing, showers of blessing we need...
Here we are at the end of June and it is hot and dry outside. Sure is a contrast to the soupy summer we had last year. The one that made me a magnet for turtles. No turtles this year, just bunnies and birds. I'll take bunnies and birds :)
The Rices have been showered with blessings the last few months. At this moment I feel happy, at peace and filled with the joy and love of our Heavenly Father. I give all glory and praise to YHWH and His direction for my current state of mind. Certain "crisis" in our lives have gone away. So, instead of pleading and questioning Him, my prayers are filled with thanksgiving and different kinds of requests. Requests to help me feel closer to him.
The Sabbath Fellowship I attend will soon be 2 years old. The last two years have certainly had their ups and downs. While the ups are great, the downs really suck and I have longed for stability within our group. Right now, we have that stability. Again, I give all of the glory to Him!
Our group isn't big. It is a small group of hungry believers that want to be together and discuss scripture. I love listening to the discussion and always feel blessed after fellowship but... there is something missing. Several people in our group, including me, have mention how nice it would be to have music. We tried music in the past but it seems forced and unnatural. For this reason, we put music on the back burner until someone able would step up and bless us with music.
So, for the last 2 years, I have been starving for song. I love singing, it fills my heart with so much joy! I can listen to the same song over and over and still feel blessed.
Sooo, with all of this said, I prayed to sing a couple weeks ago. I prayed that The Father would give me an opportunity to praise him in song. I don't ask this because I need accolades. I ask him because I want to feel his spirit, and the easiest way for me, is to sing in front of people. I'm not an exceptional singer. I can carry a tune and sound decent within a certain range. When I practice singing songs that I will share with others, I always sound bad. My voice cracks, there is no power behind my breath. But when the time comes, when all eyes are on me and I am scared to death, the Spirit fills me and His breath stirs deep in my belly and shoots out of my mouth with sound, a pretty sound. In that moment I shock myself, and often the person that has helped me practice. The once crackly, breathy voice turns into a lovely sound. That is when I feel closest to Him. I know it isn't me. I don't have the ability or strength. But, I know who can give me the strength. I rely on Him to use this instrument He created as a vessel for His glory.
So back to my drawn out story...
A couple weeks ago I prayed to sing. Guess what happened yesterday? A musician friend sent me a text that said, "Are you ready to sing Gratitude?' What! I had forgotten about that song. I sent it to her last year around Thanksgiving, thinking it would be appropriate for that time of year. She is coming to our Sabbath Fellowship this weekend and has been practicing the piano part to the song.
I feel so blessed!! I love that song!!
Let me share it with you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PEzM-4VXdg
I want you to know that Indiana is in a drought. We have been for weeks. How much more appropriate is this song now then when I sent it to my friend at Thanksgiving? Thank you Father, you know best! I love you!
