Singing In Every Season

When I was a little girl, I loved to sing. Loudly. While I still love to sing, I have since stopped singing loudly in public. Tragically, I realized as I grew older that — while I may have the desire to sing — I don’t have a great voice. I recently spoke to a woman who shared with me that she didn’t think she could sing very well, but that people often told her she could. I assured her that that means she can sing, as no one has ever told me that. Ever. And so, I sing around my kids and I sing loudly when I am alone in the car, but I don’t belt out my favorites for all the world to hear.

I can remember being about twelve years old, riding in the car with my dad. I loved the song “The Main Event” by Barbra Streisand. At the time it didn’t occur to me that I couldn’t sing just like she did. I would have my dad crank the radio and sing as loudly as I could: “Extra extra I’m in love, I’m gonna thank my lucky stars above.” Those are good memories of a place in my life when I still believed wholeheartedly that I could do anything. The truth is, I will have to wait on being able to sing until I get to heaven. And while I would love to be center stage on American Idol, that’s just not going to happen.

However, I do have other talents I can share with the world. Instead of lamenting what I didn’t get, I have learned to focus on what I did. I think this holds true for other areas of life as well. We have to embrace the place, the talents, and even the limitations God has allowed in our lives. We have to come to terms with His purposes and His plans for us. I have learned that many times these do not line up with what we had in mind. Sometimes I feel limited by much more than my singing ability. My children’s needs, my family’s demands, my time limitations, and finances can feel more like curses than blessings. I have to watch my attitude when my focus switches from what I do have to what I don’t. I have to look past the here and now and set my sights on eternity. Where does God have me? What talents and gifts has He given me? How can I best use these talents for His glory? Most importantly, how is God at work for this season of my life? I can’t stress over what has been, nor can I only look to what will be. I need to look around for ways that God is using me now.

I could have decided that since God didn’t give me the ability to sing, I wasn’t going to dream at all. I could have been bitter about what I didn’t get, instead of beginning to look for what I did. I see so many women who bemoan their place in life, never realizing the impact they could have by simply sharing their stories and the lessons God has taught them, or by reaching out to those within their sphere of influence. What challenges are you facing today? What do you lack that keeps you from doing what you can with where you are? While I still look forward to the day when I will be able to sing like an angel, I have also learned to accept that I can still sing a beautiful song for God in the most unexpected of ways.

Psalm 61:8, “And I’ll be the poet who sings your glory—and live what I sing every day.” (MSG)



Marybeth Whalen is homeschooling mom to six children ranging in age from teen to toddler, as well as a speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries. In her column “Because Life Happens”, she addresses things like burnout, dealing with interruptions, and handling homeschooling from a very practical perspective. Be sure to visit her blog, Cheaper by the Half Dozen.