Stones will cry out ...

Luke 19:40

But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."



I was raised by a mother who loved to sing praises to God. From the time I was barely able to talk, I knew what praising God meant. I don't know when I learned to love praising God ..but I knew very young ...that He loved me ..and I loved Him ...and I could never sing His praises enough.

My parents helped to start a church when I was young. Mariposa Christian Fellowship. We called a pastor from Alaska down to pastor it. Leonard and Elaine Wilkerson. They were a wonderful couple and my mom was very close to both of them. We all were. Sometimes I would sit next to Elaine during the services ... but I always sat where I could see her.

After church, I'd go up and give her a hug. She'd always smile and hug me and say "as long as you're around, the rocks will never get their chance!"

Several years ago, Elaine died of breast cancer. The last conversation I'd had with her, she'd told me "never give those rocks their turn!"

My mom would always giggle/laugh. You could see her motherly pride.

So, it's 2007 ...and I've been asked to, yet again, sing with the praise team for an Easter special. Once again, my voice is terrorizing me. Confidence fading and fear rising I had decided to back out. Today ... I had decided I just could not it. During the final rehersal, my chest was hurting so badly I could barely stand. So, while we sat down to say the final prayer, I started to ask God to give me the words to tell my director that I was going to back out.

Our director started to talk about the priviledge that it was to do this, and how happy she was we could. She mentioned how awful it would be if God had not given us music! How terrible that would be. Then she switched gears mid sentence and mentioned some rocks on her piano at home ...that were there to remind her ...that if we don't praise Him, the rocks will cry out.

I felt a finger tap me on the shoulder and I looked around. I didn't see anyone who would have touched me. My director had tears in her eyes ... and I suddenly knew ... I had almost let the stones cry out.

I felt like God had wanted me to do this because my mom had so enjoyed watching me sing when I was a teenager. I don't know how many more Easter's I have with my mom fully here ..how many more Easter's will she be aware of what is going on around, will she know that it is me singing in the group? How many more will she know that it is her daughter up there? So, I'd agreed, just for my mom ...and I almost backed out ...

I almost let the stones cry out ...