Visions Become Realities

I have had a hymn I have been trying to work into my worship set for the last two Sundays that I have led. It is called Be Thou My Vision. This song has been running through my head and through my heart. The words of the hymn speak to me.

A couple of night ago I came out on my front porch with my Bible and My Utmost for His Highest. I opened up Utmost and read the title Visions Become Realities.

Before I even started to read I sat and reflected on something that had just happened to me. I have led worship for a little over a year. I was really hesitant to take on this role. I felt that I had the ability to do it, but I wanted to do it for the right reasons. I wanted to do it to give glory to God every time I sang. I did not want it to be about performing.

I will be honest with you. This has not been the easiest experience for me. At first I lacked the self confidence to do it. Then I started to question everything that I did as a leader. I was criticized for how I chose to do it. I was humbled more than once in this experience. But, I felt that this was a path God wanted me to take so I pressed on.

I started to spend a lot of time in prayer over my worship sets. I wanted God to lead me in choosing songs. I wanted the congregation to experience authentic worship. I wanted to experience authentic worship. On the mornings that I lead I will go to the church at least an hour before the rest of the team. I spend time in prayer. Praying for all of the details and every person that will enter through the doors of the church. I pray that God's presence will be felt in the Sanctuary that day.

This last weekend I got to the church even earlier than usual. I spent some time in my Bible. I found this scripture and I meditated on it.

Speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. . . It sounds so simple, yet at times while leading I make it way too complicated.

Service was amazing that day. I felt God's presence move through the church. I heard people singing their hearts out to the Lord. After service that day, I know that other people felt it, too. Praise God, he is so good. It was that day that I felt that my vision became a reality.

It wasn't about me, it wasn't about the congregation, it wasn't about the music at all. It was all about Him! In our church the pastor is often heard saying "To God Be The Glory".

I wanted to close with the paragraph that really hit me in Utmost that day. It says this, "God gives us a vision, and then he takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience."

I praise God today that I had patience and I did not give up. Thank you Jesus for showing me Yourself in worship that day.