the    sides

As I mentioned earlier - I had no voice this weekend. I couldn’t lead worship in youth, I couldn’t sing in “big church,” and I couldn’t holler at my kids to quit playing in the sanctuary and get to the car because it was time to leave.

So in the morning service, I was forced to listen to worship. I say forced because for me - worship really is an active, participatory event. Reading all the words and listening to the congregation sing - normally that just would bore the living daylights out of me.

Camber was next to me - as is her tradition, grab my arm, place it around her neck. For some reason this position makes it possible for her to sing louder than normal. She’s a loud singer. Fortunately - she has pitch and is in key. So it’s actually a pleasant experience. She sings all the time - mostly in tune and songs we know but every now and then she’ll surprise us.

I like it. I like listening to her. I especially like listening to her at the top of her lungs in church with every one else.

Since I couldn’t sing yesterday, my mind was particularly aware of a couple facts.

It’s probable that she can’t read the words on the projector. I mean - she can read fine for a 1st grader. But if you’ve ever listened to a first grader read - it can be a bit slow. They stumble, they re-read and mispronounce words all the time. Reading fast and singing what they read in key - not going to happen.

So hearing that Camber was singing loud, in key, and the right words - probably meant she was singing from memory and from the heart.

Every night we pray over our kids. “Father, give them a passion for You that causes them to chase wildly after You all the days of their life.”

Camber and Cayden have started saying to us lately - “I love you, Daddy but I love God more.” Pause “We’re supposed to do that, right?”

Abso - freakin’ - lutely, you’re supposed to do that.

All these thoughts scream through my head yesterday as I’m listening to my daughter worship.

And in spite of my voice being gone, I had my own God-moment.

It pleases a Father when His children worship. It really does.