Use Your Gifts

Listening For Harmony

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It never fails- anytime a song comes on the radio, I always join in with harmony. I can’t help myself.

While on a road trip, my husband asked me how I listen for the harmony in a song. I replied, “I listen for what’s missing.” My husband’s response was, “I’m gonna need something more than, ‘I’m awesome’.” The truth is, I’ve been singing for most of my life. And because I enjoy harmony so much, looking for missing parts has become both a skill and a joy to me.

I love the harmony parts.

I love tight knit vocal harmonies that are dynamic and fill space. If it’s the original harmonies in familiar songs from small musical groups, or even if it’s surprising arrangements of harmonies found in massive choirs – I’m here for it. Each harmony adding a richer sound to those listening; each part supporting and complementing the other. I thoroughly enjoy hearing what each part can provide to enhance the experience.

In the pursuit of trying to be the best version of ourselves, we can zero in with laser focus and almost forget that we aren’t here just to better ourselves. We are here to share our contribution for the betterment of our world. To enhance, to support, and even to uplift.

We’ve all been given this opportunity in 2022: To listen to the conversations around us. I’m not talking about eavesdropping. I’m talking about intentionally listening to each person we engage with. Whether we listen to those within our home, within our neighborhoods, those outside of our neighborhoods, or those in our circles of faith and influence- We have each been given a new year to listen to those around us and see how we can enhance, support, and uplift them too.

At the beginning of each new year, I usually write a blog post asking friends to tell me their “word”. It’s a regular rhythm for me as a writer, and this year, I plan on selecting my own words while hearing about the words of others.

I’d also like 2022 to be different. I’d like us to shift our focus for a minute.

While we try to discover our “word” for the year, I want each one of us, myself included, to stop and listen to our world and look for what’s missing in the same way I listen for harmony.

Not for what everyone else should bring to contribute.

Not what we wish would magically occur through a series of glorious events.

What only we can see that’s missing; what only we can bring.

What do we hear that is missing? How can we bring some harmony? What can we bring?

Today, let’s pause and listen and lean in to hear God share with us how through him, we can bring harmony to our world in this new year.

We might listen and hear that hope is missing from conversations.

We might listen and hear that love is missing from the actions and intentions of those around us.

We could even listen and hear that faith is missing from the hearts of those close to us.

What’s missing friend? Right where you are with the gifts you’ve been given, what can you provide today?

One of the most amazing things about harmony is that it’s always there – someone just has to sing it. Harmony enhances what is already beautiful in the original song. Harmony adds value and offers support so as the musical piece is performed, the whole experience is felt differently.

Hearing and seeing a choir singing moving arrangements has often been known to bring people to tears or give chills. Some performances even lead to standing ovations for the participants doing nothing other than their part. But they did it well. They did it together. They performed it with the exact amount of intensity and passion that was needed.

I am praying for all of us today- that God would show us how we can add harmony to this world we live in. Not so that our role or our gifting gets the attention, but so that together, we can become the most beautiful sound of worship as we offer our roles and giftings to The Lord together in harmony.

Let’s listen well friends, and let’s look for the spaces we can bring beauty and harmony through the gifts we’ve each been given. All for his glory.

peace – liz:)

Go The Mile: Alright friends, this is usually the space where I post one of my favorite songs for you to enjoy. But today, I’d like to hear from YOU! In the comments below, share one of your favorite songs that you know has sweet harmonies! I can’t wait to check out your suggestions! Ready, set, SHARE!

Just Do The Thing – Part 2: Why Do The Thing?

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While at worship team practice last week, I was talking about the challenge we have been given to chase after God while using the gifts we have been entrusted with. I shared about how we get this awesome privilege to do so much because there were people years ago who dared to do things differently. Through their example, and because of their sacrifices, we now have the blessing of sharing the hope of Christ and directing the focus back to Him through our gifts.

Each of us, musicians and vocalists, sound engineers and video and media tech team, all of us, using the gifts we have been given. All of us – utilizing what we’ve been given to share.

When I was growing up, we went to church and sat in beautiful but stiff wooden pews, and we sang from cream-colored hymnals. I think the title, “Hymns of Praise” was embossed onto the cover in a light gold foil. I saw ordinary people use their extraordinary gifts. I saw people teach Sunday School, greet guests, print bulletins, tend the grassy areas around the church, and even others bake cookies for events. I didn’t know that those were all gifts back then. Still, I remember seeing people deliver messages from pulpits and piano benches, while others shared their testimony in the parking lot outside. I saw while others volunteered to help love the littlest guests in the church nursery. I was blessed to behold worship leaders in big events as well as worship leaders in kids church leading children to Jesus with guitars, flipboard lyrics, and yes – flannelgraph. I even witnessed generous adults who signed up to stay up all night for youth lock-ins(bless them Lord – they were saints!).  

I think as a kid I just thought that that’s what everyone did – pitching in their time and helping everyone in the process. My little eyes caught glimpses of “what could be” long before I knew “what needed to be” in community. And as a kid who grew up underneath those wooden benches mentioned before, I now see that I was witnessing the communal act of using the gifts that God had placed in people’s hearts. After all these years, I now see that everyone was “just doing their thing” all around me; using their gifts and moving into action every day.

Last week I challenged us to discover what our “thing” was and just do it.

Did you think about what your “thing” might be?

Did God impress on your heart where you might be able to use those beautiful and powerful gifts? 

As I was sharing with my teammates, I kept reminding us that we have an audience. Others are watching us (whether on a platform or in the public library or even at the grocery store), to see how we use those gifts in the everyday moments of our lives.

In the silence & in the suffering.

In the happiest of times & in the heartache.

In the victorious moments & in the valleys low.

In every season under the sun, we have been entrusted with gifts and we have and the privilege of still giving praise to God. Even when we don’t think we have much to offer, and even when we barely muster the strength to let out a sound of praise from our quivering lips.

There are on-lookers around us and the eyes of a generation coming up behind us that are looking for hope and for a glimpse of how “things could be” and, you know what? We get to share that hope when we each do our “thing”. 

They are our why.

They are why we should do our “thing”.

Not for selfish gain, and not for human applause, but so those around us can come in contact with the same Savior we know.

God has chosen us (you and me), to do what we can do with what we’ve been given. As we do, He will continue to do His “thing”. Actually, He will continue to do all kinds of amazing things in and through us.

We. You & me, with our different gifts, we get to be part of God’s story, friends.

I’m so grateful for those who modeled this for me when I was growing up. Each gift shared has impacted my own life & faith journey. Do you remember who impacted yours?

This week, I want us to think of who our “why” is. This world needs the gifts God has entrusted to you, friends. And there are so many around us who can see those brilliant gifts shining through. No matter your season, no matter your gift, there is a reason and others are counting on your willingness to share it. May we be brave as we continue to discover our “thing”, and as we pray and ask God to show us who we should share our gifts with. As we do, may our gifts point others to our source of hope and strength – Jesus, Emmanuel – God With Us.

peace – Liz

Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, You desire that everyone we come in contact with, would come in contact with Your presence. You Lord, have given us gifts and talents and skills to use on this earth, so that we can play a part in this glorious and mysterious story we call life. Lord, we don’t want to just sit on these gifts, we don’t want to just hold onto these things, we want to put them to good use for the greater good. Today God, would you begin to show us who we can begin to share our gifts with, show us who we can impact even today as we read through this. Inside and outside the church, I know You have a great plan and purpose for them. Thank You for showing us today that these gifts matter, and that when we choose to share what we’ve been given, we can see others begin to bravely do their thing and share their own gifts too. Thank you Lord for Your reminders that our stories matter and that we still have something valuable to share with this world and those around us. Amen.

Go The Extra Mile: Friends, I wanted us to listen to something that both encourges us and puts some fire underneath us to use those gifts. I love the lyrics to this song! We don’t want to just be filled up, we want to pour out all these powerful gifts we’ve been given. So check out this video, turn the volume way up, and be encouraged to pour out what you have for the glory of God.