At six months pregnant, things are starting to get a little uncomfortable. Organs are getting all kinds of squished and re-located these days. There's just less space for everything in general. Depending on how I sit or carry myself, I either feel completely short of breath, or my back is aching. I'm either squishing my lungs and diaphragm together or compressing all the muscles and ligaments in my lower back...and there's no longer much of an in-between. It's lots of fun! And it makes singing a little more...challenging. It feels like going back to basics, trying to stay in tune with my body at each moment, remaining grounded enough to support the sound.
As a singer, good posture is important. When I sang in choirs, how we sat while learning parts and how we stood while performing were all part of singing well and maintaining vocal health. In many cases it was even part of your grade. Learning how to carry yourself properly was just as important as the notes and phrases coming out of your mouth. It was hammered into us at every rehearsal - relax the shoulders, neck and jaw, don't slouch, create space in your ribcage, keep the tension out of your upper body and focused in your diaphragm...it sounds like a lot to remember but these things eventually become second-nature, given enough practice.
But guess what happens when we only think about good posture while we're in the choir room, or on a stage, or in a voice lesson? We likely have terrible posture everywhere else. At work, school, out and about...most of the time, we're probably not thinking "Are my shoulders relaxed? Am I engaging my diaphragm? Where is my tension focused right now?" We're just moving about our day. It's easy to compartmentalize and function as if good posture only matters when the actual task of singing is at hand. But actually, this compartmentalizing makes having good posture while singing even harder if we aren't also practicing it in the day to day. It takes longer for it to feel natural, for it to really stick.
Something I've learned is that worship is a posture of the heart. Scripture admonishes us to do ALL things to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). It's not just singing in church...it's having good heart-posture no matter where we are or what we're doing. It's how we carry ourselves as we walk through life.
Something else I've learned is that this heart-posture does not depend on our own strength. There are seasons I've gone through where I might be in scripture every day and still not living from my identity in Jesus...life finds a way of distracting me or making me forget all about what I read that very morning. I can easily get caught in the tizzy of getting things done, making things happen, and feeling surprised when I crash and burn because I can't hold myself up.
But the good news is, in Christ, we've been given a power beyond our own strength to move about our days with good heart-posture. In the book of Ephesians, Paul's prayer reminds us how accessible this power is to us through the Holy Spirit:
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Our strength comes from the Spirit, because He dwells within us. This strength gives us understanding and sight of Jesus is in ways we cannot fathom on our own...He reveals himself to us as He fills us up with Himself. And THAT is what propels us to worship Him with our lives. Not just in church, but at work, cleaning the house, caring for our families, on our commute, sharing a meal....
By "practicing" worship in the day-to-day, when we do get to gather and sing congregationally, this posture already feels natural to us. In a community of worshippers who are walking with Jesus daily and submitting all they do to His power and for His glory, nothing feels forced or fake. It's simply an overflow of what's already happening as individuals in the day-to-day, but now together, unified. Glorious.
It's a reminder that my God is not just my God - He's King of all Kings, Lord over ALL the earth. He is worthy of every breath...no single moment of my life is insignificant in His eyes. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord" (Psalm 150:6).
So it's okay to go back to basics, especially in seasons that have you feeling squished and stretched thin. I think a majority of the Christian life is just remembering who we are and to Whom we belong, and choosing to seek His voice in all things. There's never going to be a day on this side of heaven when we've "arrived" have it all figured out. He carries us, and sometimes maturity looks like letting ourselves be carried.
I hope this encourages you in the middle of whatever your mess is today. <3
For God's glory,
Kayla
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