Recently two of my grown sons have been coming to church with me. These kids have grown up in church so they have worshipped beside me for years. But honestly for most of those years I couldn’t hear them singing. A couple of Sundays ago, however, I was bushwhacked by joy.
Teckla was leading worship, Dylan, Vanessa, and Khloe were a row in front of us, and Dallas was standing beside me. Because we are an older congregation that takes years to learn new songs, the singing wasn’t very loud, so it was easy for me to hear this strong male voice singing next to me. It was Dallas. It was my son. My son!
I tried focusing on worshipping but couldn’t help getting clobbered by joy. I had heard Dallas singing before, but that day I was struck by the absolute goodness of standing before God with my sons and worshipping Him.
I know sometimes sons want to achieve stuff to make their parents proud or happy. But hearing my sons worship was more than enough. Other parents might say their kid won an Olympic medal, was elected to Congress, runs a company, or has bought a huge home, maybe got an Oscar or a Grammy. That’s nothing—nothing! My sons worship the living the God. Nothing can make me richer. No Father’s or Mother’s Day gift is more precious than hearing their voices sing God’s praises.
On that Sunday eternity entered my heart for a moment. I imagined myself standing with my boys before God’s throne singing the Wedding Song of the Lamb. I saw myself turn to each boy and say, “I hear you!”
