What do "Tone Deaf" and "The Attributes of God" have to do with one another?  It hopefully will make sense by the end of this post. 

My son, Robbie - he's 10 - seems tone deaf to me.  In church -- poor kid -- he loves to sing at the top of his lungs, out of tune.  I've asked him to sing more quietly, I've tried to help him get on key ... seemingly to no avail.

The attributes of God -- I am going over the attributes of God with the boys, as part of our devotion to start the day.  We are beginning with "Holiness."  We are reading several bible verses on holiness, and we will be singing the great hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy" every day.

Because of Robbie's issues with singing on key, I really worked with him on the first part, over and over again.  Guess what?  He got it!  "Holy, holy, holy!" over and over again.  Then the next line "Lord, God Almighty" over and over again.  Then together - lets put it together.  Oops, lets try again.  Ok, lets try "Lord God Almighty again, by itself.  OK, good, now all together.  Wonderful.  Now lets try "Early in the morning."

Whoa.  What was that.  Lets try again - and again - and again.  Isaac gets it first time, already knows the hymn anyhow.  Poor Robbie.  But cool, he was getting it.  When I felt enough was enough ... I was satisfied that he's catching on, and wanted to read the verses on holiness ... Robbie hadn't had enough.  He had found his voice, and he can't stop singing.  He said "I'm falling in love with that song!"

Is that not so cool!  I am so excited.  Not only that he's learning to sing, but he will find a whole new dimension in an ability to worship God in song.  And the presence of God did, indeed, fill us as we sang to him over and over again, and as we read His Word on holiness.

When we were finished, and had closed in prayer, I had each of them read John 1:1-8, and then each spent a bit of time in prayer by themselves - their own quiet time with God.  It's a habit I really want to instill now, and have not.

I'm more excited about this than anything we've done in a long time.  I am truly, so excited.  And I feel that as Robbie learns to go up and down the scale, other hymns will come easier to him.  He just needed special work done with him.  Singing did not come naturally, but he is learning to sing!  Praise God!  I am so happy for him. 

And, er ... I have a feeling that those we worship with in church will be happy as well : )