Thursday, April 29, 2010

From the Lips of Babes ...


My daughter Jalynn loves to sing. She's got a good ear and will sing a song for days after hearing it just once. From Barney to The Jonas Brothers to silly ditties I make up about washing hands and taking naps ... she sings it all. Daddy bought her a pink plastic microphone from the dollar shelves at Target a few months ago. She went through a phase where she'd bring it to church every week. Most kids walk into church clutching their Bibles. Mine held a mic. We're part of a small church in Watts, a neighborhood in the heart of inner-city Los Angeles. It's no frills. Lots of kids. Lots of broken people who aren't set on making it look like everything's okay. Needless to say, it's a long ways from where I'm from. And it's where Jalynn made her debut as a two-year-old worship leader. As soon as the music started, she'd walk up front, stand next to the pastor as he strummed his guitar, and sing boldly into her pink plastic mic.

Jalynn spends two days a week at Kathy's House while I work from home. Malakye joins her on one. A few weeks ago we were on our way home from Kathy's on a Thursday afternoon, a mixed CD of worship songs playing so quietly in the background I didn't even notice it. I was merging onto the 405N when Jalynn asked me to turn up the music. "I know this song from church," she announced. I turned it up. She began to sing. "Savior, He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save." "Louder!" She shouted. I turned it up. She was getting louder and more passionate with every refrain. I glanced in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were closed. Her hands raised. I was suddenly so aware of God's presence. A passing thought of angels flying alongside our car crossed my mind. I began singing and was joined in the same moment by Malakye, who started making a noise I had never heard him make—it was baby babble alright, but this time it sounded more like a song. Somewhere around the third or fourth "Forever, author of salvation," I started to cry. The song ended about the time we exited on Culver. Jalynn asked me to play it again. I didn't argue.

I tried to recreate that moment today. The same CD was playing on our way home from Kathy's. I selected "Mighty to Save," turned up the volume much higher than usual, and started singing. Jalynn sat quietly in the way back seat. After about a minute she started to talk. The only thing she was concerned with was the mac-n-cheese she spilled on her shorts at lunch. I wanted to turn up the music, maybe if I raised a hand and looked spiritual enough, the kids would join me. But I didn't. I turned down the music and chatted with Jalynn about her day. We talked about her friends and nap time and the band-aid she put on her face to cover yet another phantom owie. We turned the corner and our house came into view. At the first glimpse of my husband's car in the driveway, Jalynn began chanting, "Daddy's home! Daddy's home!" Then it struck me—God was in this moment too.

"From the lips of children and infants, you have ordained praise." (Psalm 8:2)

3 comments:

  1. ooooo, that gave me goosebumps! praise the Lord for children who are learning to love Him, and for His reminders of His presence!

    great blog!

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  2. Don't lose those memories! Precious!

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  3. What incredible moments...surrounded by the presence of God while you worhsip Him with your children...just a taste of heaven! (love that picture by the way!)

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