Photograph of Liam Carlos Vasquez and his class during their spring program at Vinson Morris School of First UMC-Corpus Christi.
Praise in Your Heart Sounds Better on Your Lips
From the Psalms comes this word: But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy. Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds — his name is the Lord— be exultant before him. (Psalm 68: 3-4)
The commencement speaker for the University of Texas this year shared some truths he learned as a Navy Seal. While all of his speech made sense and had a positive impact on me as I read it, I'm sharing the one all believers should know: Start singing when you're up to your neck in mud.
Admiral William McRaven shared from his days of training as a Navy Seal. One of the most difficult things of that most difficult of processes was the night they took them to mud pits between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego. They were made to get into freezing cold mud while taunts and insults were thrown at them by their trainers, urging them to give up and resign. Gone would be the 4 a.m. wake up times, marching and running in the rain, swimming in the frigid waters of the Pacific, the insults, the running of the obstacle course; yet they had come this far and the end of this torture was in sight. For hours on end, they endured the cold until someone started singing. Another joined him, and yet another; before too long the entire group was singing. At this point the group was down to the last five men, and they were yelled at and told to stop singing, but on they sang; sang long enough to endure the 15 hours required in this cold mud. The Admirals shares, "And somehow -- the mud seemed a little warmer, the wind a little tamer and the dawn not so far away." Singing shares a hope found deep down even in the most challenging of circumstances, and it's contagious. Singing of a hope found in the living God is a hope that cannot be destroyed.
The believer has a library of the most powerful songs and hymns ever written; all based on hope, truth, love, and power. To sing is to be or pray to be joyful. To sing is to heap praises on the living God. To sing is to rise above the challenges of life to the presence of God. And God is then glorified.
I know singing at times is so hard and difficult, for sometimes life gives us terrible notes, but it is precisely why the psalmist said, "Make a joyful noise!" Not even the saddest bullfrog stops singing because his family tells him he sounds terrible. Even nature sings. So should we. Be lifted up away from the challenges right into the choirs of confidence and praise.
PRAYER: Loving God, let my life sing! Lift me up when I'm feeling so down. Let me sing now in anticipation of the joy and victory that will be Yours and mine in all things. In Jesus' name I pray and sing, Amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
