"To Whom Much Is Given Shall Much Be Required."

It wasn't long before I joined a choir of Gospel singers. As a member of the Calvary Singers, I enjoyed the lovely evenings we had together in practice for public events. We visited Hotels and places of worship to proclaim the wonderful good news of the Gospel. I was a soprano and was placed at the front because of my small stature. Because I cannot read music I had to learn the songs and hymns, with all their moods and movements by heart so as to perfectly fill my part in this body of singers. I loved it, every moment of it.

During one practice session not long before Christmas I was asked to sing a solo at a Carol service we had been invited to perform at. But fear gripped my heart and I politely declined. The event was beautiful but my heart was heavy! Another lady sang the song I was meant to sing, (which in my opinion, was sung much better than I could have sung it), and I felt that I had let the Lord down. I promised in the quietness of my heart that if ever I was asked again to sing I would accept the invitation, and I asked the Lord for grace and courage to do it for His pleasure and glory. I would not let my inhibitions get in the way and fill me with fear, ever again.

This was around about the time when I met Paul who was later to become my husband. We were married eighteen months later, and the Calvary Singers performed at our wedding making it a most special very memorable day for all who attended.

The next year I decided it was time to leave the choir so I could devote myself to motherhood just before our first child was born.

For the next fifteen years there followed all the usual ups and downs that families go through but in addition to this there was a trial of great proportions, through which I learned some very precious things about my Lord and Saviour I will never forget.

I learned to write poetry in those days. Expressions of comfort, encouragement, praise and even joy were expressed as I daily found my comfort and strength in the Lord Himself. Strange though it may seem but I never lost my desire for singing in those dark days. Sometimes I made tunes up and sang my poems when there was no one around. Little did I know back then that the Lord would use some of those creations one day to comfort and bless other people.

Sometime during this time my friends and I were gathered spring cleaning session in our little Gospel Hall and we stopped about half way for refreshments. Our conversation was sweet and the subject of our favourite hymns came up. Each of us in turn expressed our favourite. I loved the hymn “Emmanuel's Land” (and still do) and quoted the beautiful lyrics to them. However my friends couldn't remember the tune, so I sang quietly the forth and my favourite verse:

A silence followed and after contemplating those words I looked up to find all eyes ... on me! Until then I had always kept my singing a bit of a secret. The only those who normally heead me were my family at home heard ... but I did so love the words of that hymn and wanted to express them as best I could to my friends. Some encouraging compliments were expressed before we resumed our cleaning.