He's 9 now. He'll be 10 in January. He came into my life when he was 4 and his speech was so poor you could only understand one of every five or six words. He came with my husband - a package I can tell you right now I had NEVER expected to receive. God had allowed me to talk myself into believing I was to remain single for the rest of my days and just when I had truly accepted that it would be ok if that was the case, He sends this man to my doorstep. Literally.
When we started attending Sunday evening services at our church, the service would start with everyone, children included, in the sanctuary for worship. The kids would be dismissed before the sermon to go to Sunday School but we would all sing together. He was 8 then and I would watch him on occasion and he never, ever made the effort to sing with us. He could read so the words weren't an issue and most of the songs he knows anyway from what we listen to in the car all the time.
When we started attending Sunday evening services at our church, the service would start with everyone, children included, in the sanctuary for worship. The kids would be dismissed before the sermon to go to Sunday School but we would all sing together. He was 8 then and I would watch him on occasion and he never, ever made the effort to sing with us. He could read so the words weren't an issue and most of the songs he knows anyway from what we listen to in the car all the time.
So I asked him - why don't you sing with us? God would love to hear your voice. His response? Singing "isn't really my thing." I had to laugh at that and I didn't push it beyond telling him that it would be ok if he ever decided he wanted to sing - God would love to hear him.
Last week we're headed out to the car when I pick him up from school and he asks me if he can join the choir. I almost stopped dead in my tracks. I looked at him and asked him to repeat himself. So... he did. And I said "Really? Choir? Really? But... I thought singing wasn't your thing..."
His response to me? "That was then... Now? Now I think I want to try to sing."
In that instant that four year old with a speech impediment so thick you couldn't understand him flashed back into my head. I hugged him and tried so hard to not cry. He still has a ways to go with his speech - it's not perfect by any means but there is a gift there. A little boy who couldn't talk now wants to sing. Wants to try. I don't care if cats start singing with him - he will have the most beautiful singing voice I will have ever heard.
5 comments:
Oh, this is so sweet! It brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for your sweet comment on my blog, too. Blessings!
What a great leap he's taken--the willingness to try something new! Such a precious gift.
That is so precious. I love how God redeems...
Awww sweet post~ They grow so fast so hang on to every moment~
This post makes ME want to sing! What a wonderful story -- thanks for sharing it with us.
And thanks for visiting and commenting on Graceful the other day!
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