"Mom's song"

When my oldest daughter was tiny, I would rocker her to sleep and sing 'Amazing Grace.' As she got older, we had a routine. Each night I would lay in bed with her, read her book, and then I would sing Amazing Grace to her before she went to sleep. She could never remember the name of the song and she always just called it “Your song.” She would say, “Mom, sing your song for me.” And that's how we always referred to it... It was always “Mom’s song.”

When she was in elementary school, I was on the worship team at church and more than once she would say “Mom, why don't you ever sing your song on Sunday morning?” I would always explain to her that I didn't pick the songs on Sunday morning, that was someone else’s responsibility. My very best friend happened to be the pastor’s wife, and she and I shared many secrets. At that time in my life, she might have been the only person that knew about my past and I trusted her more than I trusted myself. When she found out that my daughter wanted me to sing 'my song' for Sunday morning, she made arrangements for it to happen... Not for the worship team, but for me to sing it as a solo.

It was not my turn to sing that Sunday morning on the worship team, so I stood in the congregation with my girls at my side and sang it from the pew. To see the look on my daughter's face and to know how one moment in time can make someone so happy is beyond anything I can describe. It was just a song. It was just 4 minutes of time in a little girl's life. But to her, it was her mom singing her song, just for her, and no one could ever take that away from her. I had no idea how important it was to her until I saw her face light up that morning...no idea.

I would have never sang that solo without Joyce's intervention. It just wasn't on my radar. I was thinking she had heard it a hundred times, what is the significance of one more time?

We don't know what our simple acts of kindness do for other people's lives. It's not up to us to decide how important one act of kindness is over another. It's not up to us to decide if an act of kindness is worth taking the time to do or not. It's not up to us to judge who is worthy of our time or kindness or money. We are only called to be obedient. We are only called to listen to that still small voice that guides us.

And if you're like me, sometimes I question or second guess myself when I feel God urging me to do something for someone. It's so easy to judge or question if they are worthy of my time and the trouble it takes to do something kind. But I have to remember that it's not up to me. I have no idea what's going on in someone else's life. I don't know how God will use my simple act of kindness to bless someone. I'm only called to be obedient, to listen to that still small voice.

Throughout the years I have been blessed many times by random acts of kindness, some big, some small. And I'm sure none of the givers were aware of how "well timed" their gifts were. Some I had the opportunity to thank, some I did not. But with each answered prayer, there was someone on the other end listening to that still small voice. But one can't happen without the other.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.