Roaming Tennessee Girl

I don’t remember a single bible story or craft from any VBS or church class as a child. I remember some from middle school and high school. But the only thing I remember from my church childhood are the songs. It was my favorite part of VBS. By the age of nine I was singing my first solo with the choir. It was What a Friend We have in Jesus. I carried the second verse. My VBS memories consist of saying the pledges and singing the anthem songs. Today I hear those songs and I still smile.

I lead music at VBS last week for the first time in about 8 years. We sang and danced (moved-no dancing a Baptist church) until our voices were hoarse and our arms were dragging. Children between the ages of 2 to10 sang/shouted 'This little light of mine' with more gusto than I ever thought possible. They jumped up and down singing 'Get down and lifts me up' until those of us over 10 were ready to fall in the floor with exhaustion.

But for me the most precious moment was the day that I taught them the motions to the song Amazing love. I would say the words while doing the motion and they would repeat. Listening to a four year old say ‘I’m forgiven because you were forsaken’ was enough to bring tears to my cynical eyes. Most children would sing at the top of their voices. I don’t know if they understood the words or the meaning behind them but they were belting out the words with their hearts wide open. Hopefully 10 or 20 years from now they will hear those songs and smile a little and think that is were it started.

In the spirit of nostalgia I want to share with you on of my all time favorite childhood songs:

I am a promise. I am a possibility.
I am a promise with a capital P.
I am a great big bundle of potentiality
And I am learning to hear God’s voice
And I am trying to make the right choice.

I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be.

I still remember the tune and singing it as loud as possible. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt for us to sing like we were little children…at the top of our lungs with little concern for who is watching and what they are thinking.