The Song Of The Heart
written at Sunday, October 17, 2010
The last few days have been particularly frustrating for me. I have been struck with a few throat infections, sleeping was uncomfortable because it just hurt too much, was forced to take some painkillers to resolve the pain. I probably drank over a litre of honey water over the last few days, Manuka honey in particular aids in the dis-infection of the throughout because it has anti-bacterial properties. My level of water-drinking has increased dramatically over the last few days so that is a positive thing. But what frustrated me the most was that just after recovering from this dreaded sore throat, my vocal cords are now fried.
As some of you may know, vocal cords are located in a different area of your throat, what you drink and eat will have no contact with the vocal cords, if it does, you will be in an agonizing coughing fit. The only way to get your vocal cords in contact with water normally would probably in the hot shower, the steam that you inhale will go through your vocal cords, moisturising it.
So I woke up today with this incredibly hoarse voice, croaking away like a frog, I knew something was up. My vocal cords were fatigued and overworked from the prior day's practice. I knew I pushed it too far in some of the songs. I should have backed down. So all in all, I did not take care of my voice and I paid the price for it. Belting away and straining on songs I find it too uncomfortable to reach, especially after recovering from a throat infection.
But I think I drew a bigger lesson from all of this. I need to put my focus and reflection away from the physical setbacks of my voice, rather look into the heart and ask myself if I have truly been worshipping the Lord in spirit and in the truth. Because the most important thing that I have learnt, especially from this week's Bible study discussion around Mark 7, was the condition of the heart, Jesus quoted Isaiah in Mark 7 and said, "These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." That struck me, because my voice can be restored this very moment, this very instant, but my heart will still be so far away. I need to kneel, I need to raise my hands and surrender to the Lord and pray that He will make my heart right before Him, I want my relationship with Him to be a close one, not one that is far away, I want my lips to be filled with praise, but this praise will ultimately resound from what is inside of me. From the very core of my being. I think the Lord is teaching me this lesson.
Even when the audible voices fade, may the song of my heart still resound with praise to Him. and Him alone.
The Song Of The Heart
written at Sunday, October 17, 2010
The last few days have been particularly frustrating for me. I have been struck with a few throat infections, sleeping was uncomfortable because it just hurt too much, was forced to take some painkillers to resolve the pain. I probably drank over a litre of honey water over the last few days, Manuka honey in particular aids in the dis-infection of the throughout because it has anti-bacterial properties. My level of water-drinking has increased dramatically over the last few days so that is a positive thing. But what frustrated me the most was that just after recovering from this dreaded sore throat, my vocal cords are now fried.
As some of you may know, vocal cords are located in a different area of your throat, what you drink and eat will have no contact with the vocal cords, if it does, you will be in an agonizing coughing fit. The only way to get your vocal cords in contact with water normally would probably in the hot shower, the steam that you inhale will go through your vocal cords, moisturising it.
So I woke up today with this incredibly hoarse voice, croaking away like a frog, I knew something was up. My vocal cords were fatigued and overworked from the prior day's practice. I knew I pushed it too far in some of the songs. I should have backed down. So all in all, I did not take care of my voice and I paid the price for it. Belting away and straining on songs I find it too uncomfortable to reach, especially after recovering from a throat infection.
But I think I drew a bigger lesson from all of this. I need to put my focus and reflection away from the physical setbacks of my voice, rather look into the heart and ask myself if I have truly been worshipping the Lord in spirit and in the truth. Because the most important thing that I have learnt, especially from this week's Bible study discussion around Mark 7, was the condition of the heart, Jesus quoted Isaiah in Mark 7 and said, "These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." That struck me, because my voice can be restored this very moment, this very instant, but my heart will still be so far away. I need to kneel, I need to raise my hands and surrender to the Lord and pray that He will make my heart right before Him, I want my relationship with Him to be a close one, not one that is far away, I want my lips to be filled with praise, but this praise will ultimately resound from what is inside of me. From the very core of my being. I think the Lord is teaching me this lesson.
Even when the audible voices fade, may the song of my heart still resound with praise to Him. and Him alone.
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Knowing
What matters supremely, therefore, is not
in the last analysis, the fact that I know God,
but the larger fact which underlies it --
the fact that He knows me.
J. I. Packer
