I can’t remember when church wasn’t a consistent and
constant part of my life, and it is a real challenge to come up with many
memories that don’t, in some form or another, include gospel music.
Growing up on a cotton farm meant a lot of hard work. We didn’t hire help because my family did it
all. You can imagine how excited I was
as a kid to plan for the weekends when I knew gospel singing would be a huge
part of Saturday and Sunday. Twice a
year, those convention songbooks came in from the Stamps-Baxter Music
Company. I remember Daddy and Mama
talking about how great it was that a few of the men paid for those books and
carried them to every Friday night singing, Saturday night singing, Sunday
afternoon singing, Sunday night singing – and I’ll not overlook all-day Sunday
singings. Daddy, Mama, and others in the
community offered to pay for books but Mr. Willie, Mr. Claron, Mr. Tommy, and
others who paid for them wouldn’t take a dime.
It was just what they did…they made sure others could enjoy the new
songs, learn to sight read them, and get all the parts right. For the daughter of a cotton farmer who
“lived” for the weekends of gospel singing, they were real heroes!
I drove my school piano teacher half-crazy because I learned
to play the piano by ear, and I was always thrilled when called on to play for
a song or two as the song leaders were called up. These were the places where a love for music
took root in my life. Admittedly, I took
a lot of it for granted for many years, but I will NEVER again minimize those
early opportunities.
So, I wonder, what early memories come to your mind today as
you read this… those opportunities that you know God dropped right in your
early path?
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