Softly and Tenderly

A few months ago I told my girls about my Dad's voice getting softer. Not too many years ago and as long before that as I can remember, my Dad's booming bass voice filled the church building when we sang. He knew the notes to sing and sing out he did. Many loved to sing songs with a bass lead and hear him sing. The song s"Our God, He is Alive" and "Lead me gently home father" are examples. Over the past few months before he passed away that voice grew fainter. On the last Wednesday night he came to church I noticed how faintly I could hear that voice. The harmony was so nice.

Today I led singing. I don't think anymore that God cares too much about the sounds we make nearly as much as the fact that the melody comes from our heart. The music is beautiful when sang as written, but God wants the song from our hearts no matter how it sounds. Well, our numbers were kind of sparce this morning and there was a lot of singing from the heart going on. Whenever I used to lead a song that I was not too sure about I sometimes thought, "That big ole bass voice of my Dad will cover my musical mistakes as well as my just plain insecurity." and it did. Dad could help with the tempo, he could make it sound like there were more people than there were really in the room. I do not think that his voice was overpowering, just full. This morning I was having a hard time leading the songs. I was wishing I could hear that bass. -- even just the thin, faint bass, to help carry me through. - But it was not there. I long to hear the big bass, but I would just really love to hear anything.

There have been times when we would have visitors come and some would say to the visitors, "I sure enjoyed hearing your bass voice." Their voices were fine. They did a great job. But the voice that I heard then, and every time the door was open for services was my Dad's.

We lost Dad about six weeks ago. His life ended while he was sitting at his office. I think, and I have told many of you this, that there is only one place that he would rather have been other than his office when his time came and that is sitting and participating at church.

I will not be able to hear that voice any longer, but the message he gave about the importance of attendance will not be forgotten.