(Don’t miss some music that will make your day. Be sure and read/scroll all the way to the end of this post.)
Over the last couple of weeks, via Facebook or Twitter, I have been asking the question, “Who is this #KingdomWoman, and then asking women to fill in the blank with their thoughts.
But when I ask the question, I like to “prime the pump” first. Here’s one of my previous posts…
Who is this #KingdomWoman?
I am… when I don’t wallow in self-defeat but choose to get up, dust off, and keep going.
Your turn. I am a #KingdomWoman when I _________…
You fill in the blank!.
Then I watch as others respond and tell me why they consider themselves to be a #KingdomWoman. I get lots of responses! Here are a few from last week.
“When I don’t give up on my students.” ~ Karla
“When I don’t allow the attitudes of other to dictate my day.” ~ Towanda
“When I choose to forgive AND be pleasant.” ~ Janice
“When I choose to let go of the bitterness and become better.” ~ Elisha
“When I learn to say ‘no’.” ~ Zee
“When I choose not to complain when things seem to be taking too long.” ~ Halicia
“When I allow the Lord to activate my eyes of faith.” ~ Nicole
“When I bless others.” ~ Karen
“When I remember that God is still on the throne.” ~ Leilani
I was so blessed to see all of those responses, but I have to say, this one in particular stood out for me…
“When I didn’t give in to the irritable attitude that I had this morning, but instead sang hymns.” ~ Donna
Maybe Donna’s comment struck a cord with me because I was having a bad day? Maybe I was in the middle of throwing an adult temper tantrum and having a bad attitude? I’m not sure. But this one definitely stood out.
It reminded me of something that I’ve seen before. Something, that until Donna responded, I hadn’t thought of in a long time.
Singing your way through a situation.
I have had the privilege of growing up around godly women, and I’ve noticed something over the years. Many times, I would catch them singing. Maybe my mom was making a bed. Maybe my “Grandma” was scrubbing a floor. Maybe my “Two Mama” was cutting up potatoes for her wonderful potato salad. They would sing while they worked.
But maybe sometimes my mom was very irritated with the disobedience of her children. Maybe my “Grandma” was frustrated because she was married to a traveling husband and had the primary joy and burden of raising eight kids by herself. Maybe my “Two Mama” was thinking about their financial troubles and wondering how they were going to have enough money for retirement.
They still chose to sing.
Now, as an adult woman, I realize that sometimes you sing because it’s a way to keep your mind focused on things above when you really want to wallow on things below that happen to be driving you absolutely C-R-A-Z-Y. Sometimes you sing to keep from yelling, or crying, or running away. Sometimes you sing, to remember that when you feel love from no one else, you serve a God who loves you.
A God who sees you.
The choice to sing is not about whether or not you feel worthy of singing a solo at church or hiring a band and going on tour! It’s a choice to open your mouth and put words to some kind of tune (even if you are out of tune) until the song of your mouth matches the song of your heart.
But I know that sometimes, you don’t have a song in your heart. So today, and especially because it’s Monday and because I need to encourage MYSELF, I’ve included a couple of videos of others singing to get me in the mood and hopefully motivate me to do the same. Maybe for today, I can borrow their song. Maybe today, their song will encouarage you too. (Keep scrolling to watch some soul-stirring videos) While I don’t know this woman personally, I can feel her love for Jesus when I watch her video on YouTube. Say hello to Mother Hazel. My brother @AnthonyEvansJr and sissy @Priscilla Shirer leading our church in worship earlier this year.
Thank you for blessing us with such beautiful and encouraging songs! My burdens and mood are a lot lighter! It’s nothing like some good worship music to calm the soul and center the mind on God!
Thank you so much for these songs!! Hearing Mother Hazel made me long to hear the voices of my grandmother and great-grandmother. I can only imagine the joys and the sadness they sang through. I feel so blessed to have had them in my life!! The second song reminded me that my daughter and the next generation need to hear my voice and the voices of my generation so they can learn how to sing through good times and bad times.
Oh, I needed that this morning. Thank you – now I understand why I ask the Lord for a song in my heart each morning – Thank you Jesus
This is awesome! I love to sing! I am one of the lead worshipers in my church. I sing day and night. This past year I found the secret (at least for me) on how to manage my emotions, when I’m feeling annoyed, angry, stressed or even depressed I begin to sing “His eye is on the sparrow.” at that moment I feel the presence of the Lord and an incredible peace just fills every part of me. Praising God in the storms is the is the best feeling in the World. May there never be a rock that has to cry out in my place for as long as I live!
“I am a kingdom woman because I worship my Lord not just with my lips, but with my Life!”
Sarah 🙂
Oh…I love this Crystal!
I love this post Chrystal! It’s so true, we cannot worship and keep the same (frustrated, weary, overwhelmed, hurt) perspective…The Holy Spirit sweetly shifts it so we can have His perspective! Thanks for the reminder today!
sister your message was “right on time” as I had an unpleasant encounter with my daughter last night. I shall sing Praises to My Lord for I know HE LOVE S ME and knows the situation. Praying HE willwork in my daughter’s life!!!
I’m right there with you Tina 🙂
Argh….I meant Chrystal. I think it autocorrected because my VA’s name is Crystal. 🙂
Loving this Crystal! Especially Mother Hazel is worshipping the Lord from a heart that KNOWS Him!
The day after I read this post, 2 Chron. 20 was my assigned reading during my devotion time. My heart was overwhelmed with God’s grace in showing me a practical application of this principle in His word:
2 Chron. 20:21-22
“After consulting the leaders of the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising Him for His Holy Splendor (despite our circumstances we can always sing to Him for who He is). This is what they sang: Give thanks to the Lord; His faithful love endures forever (sometimes it’s so difficult, I can’t remember the words of a song but certainly I can remember this). At the moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.” King Jehoshaphat and the people, who were notably alarmed, we were told in the beginning of the chapter, were “singing their way through their situation”.
Thanks for the encouragement! This is awesome!
[…] to pay attention. Choose to sing even when you are frustrated with the lack of light you have on your road. Choose to be grateful […]