From a small child, I had a
love and interest in music. We sang
together as a family in church, my Dad, Mom and my younger brother, Tyler. I also remember a duet Tyler & I did
when he was 3 and I was 5 years old. I
began piano lessons at age 7 and I am thankful for that gift my parents
sacrificed to give me and I still have the piano my Dad bought new in 1978.
From the 6th grade on I was in the school choir and multiple
ensembles and groups. When I graduated
high school, where I met my future husband, Herb (we were Show Choir partners),
all I wanted to do was sing. I don’t
know why I didn’t pursue music. It was
probably mostly a lack of confidence and a fear of the unknown. So, I moved on with life and grieved the
loss of music being such a big focus in my world.
I married and traveled
internationally with my Marine husband but then, the Persian Gulf War happened
and Herb was one of the 1st troops into the war zone and harm’s
way. The predictions and analysis by
the media were extremely negative and talked of mass losses. At this time, I made a deal with God that I
would finally start to sing solos in church if He kept Herb safe and brought
him back home to me. I always sang but
never by myself and I knew God had been calling me. Thankfully, Herb returned home safely, and shortly thereafter his
time in the Marine Corps ended. We made
our way back to Ohio and began a more normal life. I was true to my promise to God and started singing solos in
church and there seemed to be a good response to my music.
This was the early 90’s and
church music was undergoing change, especially in the area of praise and
worship. I discovered the power in
that worship and the passion of leading people to His presence and through that,
found my main purpose and gifting in life and finally knew what all that
preparation was for. I served when
opportunities were available and also took 2 more years of piano at this time.
I kept pursuing the dream and worked with some talented musicians and friends
and still do, but there has always been something bigger, a greater call. I
want to do all He has called me to and to do Jesus justice. I ventured out and started writing songs and
partial songs during my personal worship time with the Lord and I began to look
for a way to get the written and unwritten music out there to touch and
minister to others.
Frankly, the opportunity is
not always there in the church and I was looking for the right people to
collaborate with and those people and resources are hard to find. Then, along came Incubator Creative
Group. I had been on the Gospel Music
Channel Website, as we love their family programming and I was just looking around
and found a link to Incubator and I clicked on it. Their values really appealed to me, especially the values of
eternity and accountability. I needed a
partner. I needed someone that knew a whole lot more than I did and yet had the
same vision and goals in mind, to reach with Christ’s love, the lost, hurting,
misunderstood pre-Christians and Christians struggling and laboring along the
way. I also liked that they talked of doing small in a big way. I can have a part-time ministry but make a
big impact for God. The borrowed title
of this article is from the old hymn, “Little Is Much When God Is In It” and
the words of the chorus continue with “labor not for wealth or fame”. I’ve never been interested in my own fame
but to make Jesus famous! This isn’t
about me. It’s about the King of kings
and the Lord of lords getting the glory due His name. The next line of the chorus is “there’s a crown and you can win
it”. Well, I’m going to lay that crown
at Jesus’ feet! Finally, the last line is “if you’ll go, in Jesus’ name!.” I’m willing to go. It won’t always be convenient, yes, it will take work, but to me,
there is no greater calling, no greater goal than to further the cause of
Christ.
God had a plan to get me to
the place he needed me and where I could use not only music but all the other
gifts he has so graciously placed in me. All glory belongs to Him. I’m not going to do it on my own. God is
with me and he is providing the vehicle, so I’m jumping in and riding with
Him. The last verse of the above song
is what I want to hear someday, “When the conflict here has ended, and our race
on earth is run, He will say, if we are faithful, Welcome Home, my child ---
Well Done!”
