A new voice

As I write this, I'm recovering from a nasty bout of tonsilitis. Not only has this kept me away from people and work; my tired body working hard to beat the virus, but I've lost the use of my voice.

Losing one's voice is more than an inconvenience, its a nightmare. I'm ever thankful for alternative means of communication in this day and age, like text messaging and email, because making oneself understood without the use of voice is hard. Very hard. I have a new-found appreciation for people who are mute, indeed anyone with a speech 'defect'.

Being able to talk is a great, great gift, one I have taken for granted all my life. And I've been a singer too, again a natural ability I have taken for granted. To have these gifts taken away has been horrible, yet I have abused them for half my life. Only recently was I able to give up smoking - there's no telling what damage that has done. And how many times have I strained my vocal chords by raising my voice in anger? And too many times have I spoken without thinking.

So I want to say thanks. Thanks to God for giving us voice, not only with Him. but with each other.

I'm going to use it my gifts better. More efficiently, more effectively. I have two ears which are always open and one mouth, which I have the ability to close. Those of us that can should make more effort to speak for those who don't have a voice. Maybe just because we can. But not without the use of our ears. That would be a mistake.


So in the words of the psalmist, (Psalm 96: 1-3)
"O sing unto the Lord a new song; sung unto the Lord all the earth.
Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people."