From The Mud Puddle

I have a secret to share.

I keep a tamborine under my bed.

It's really not mine, it belongs to my son. We had arrived home from church one day and I was helping him clean out his room and found the tamborine. I had a song in my head that was sung at church ... "waves of mercy...waves of grace...everywhere I look I see your face.." and started dancing around the house banging the tamborine on my head as I said the words very loudly.

The kids thought it was fun...and it was. Basically it was a very real joy in the Lord spilling out very openly in our home between all of us as we all took turns with the tamborine. That is how it is here, very open and loud. I am very animated with my kids and here at home for the Lord.

I guess that means I am somewhat teetering on the pentecostal side of worship...however...I do not believe "anything goes". Order still has its place as we enjoy being in the Lord's presence. I was raised in the Southern Baptist Denomination, very quietly. Perhaps some of that quietness was my own personality in my shyness around those outside my family, or perhaps it was just not yet having learned how to express my love of the Lord in a very open way. Perhaps it was affection not yet realized until a few years ago....when what we did at home found a new place in our public worship of the Lord as we raised our hands, clapped our hands and sang OUT. Perhaps it is a passion, a love of the Lord that found it's place to overflowing and to keep it in, I'd explode. It came pouring out.

Im just a Christian that enjoys pulling out this tamborine out from time to time as the love flows to overflowing and the singing happens spontaniously. There is freedom in our expression of our love and surrender to the Lord. It reminds me of how David danced for all to see in worship and celebration....just enjoying being in God's presence...