A Little Present

God blessed me with a little somethin' somethin'!! Last night, my friend Marvin from our church's praise team called me in dire need of an alto for a women's church retreat the next morning. I knew he was getting desperate if he called me! His wife, Pearlie, had just had an abscessed tooth pulled, and two "better alternatives" were not available. I was going to get the pleasure of singing with his "group"...the one that makes CD's with him. I was all over that little offer like white on rice. I was a little nervous, because I sometimes sing soprano and sometimes alto with his songs, and I didn't want to get schizophrenic and forget which part I was doing.

I had suspected as much, but when I walked into the place, I was the only white person there. I mean every gorgeous shade of dark brown and chocolate brown and ebony and espresso was present, but no white cream for the oreos if you know what I am saying. I love black people... their heritage, the way they worship, their lavishness for living life. This was my first experience where I was the minority in color. I wasn't uncomfortable...these were my family in Christ...but I definitely felt different. I always wondered what black people feel like as they enter situations where they are the minority and now I got a taste.

I just have to go into a little detail about the setting of this experience. The theme was "Women under Construction," and the tables were all decorated in yellow and black. Even a lot of the women chose to coordinate with the theme and wore black and yellow as well. Those that didn't color coordinate still had on their best suits and looked beautiful. I asked Marvin why no one had on any hats and he said that was reserved for Sundays. I got this mental picture of how my church would dress up at a ladies' retreat and jeans and tennis shoes came to mind. I am not sure I saw any jeans or tennis shoes. (Except on me...but that is OK, because Marvin told us to wear jeans and white shirts so we could coordinate.) Anyway, I say all that because I love how people are so different...even to what they wear to a women's retreat and yet we can all love the same BIG God!

The best part of the morning, of course, was getting to worship WITH these women! What a joy to lead worship where the audience engages with their whole bodies, souls, and spirits! My sister, Kiley would have loved this experience...but I am pretty sure that her worship experience right now is far surpassing this one! It was such an edifying time...being with complete strangers of a different color and yet praising the same Redeemer and Lord and feeling a bond as a result. Thank, you Lord for this little present today!