Music is a huge part of my life. I've always loved music. And more specifically, I've always loved church music--gospel music, hymns, praise songs, etc. So it shouldn't be a huge shock to those who know me that I'm trying to make music a part of my children's lives too.
When many of my friends have asked me how I trained my kids to sleep through the night, they're often surprised when I say that I music-trained them. Each child has had his or her favorite CD's of church music that I turned on each night as I tucked them into their cribs. Within a day or 2, they would fall asleep to their music. Or in some cases, they would sing themselves to sleep while they listened to their music. So precious!
As the boys have gotten older I haven't done a great job continuing the church music exposure at home. At night, they talk to each other before they sleep instead of listening to music. In the car, I have historically forced them to listen to talk radio (as I am a political junky). And at home, I just haven't been playing much music in the house. It recently occurred to me that I really need to crank up the hymns and praise songs more when we move into our new house. I'm even converting the designated "media" room in the house to a home music studio/fine arts room. Doesn't every family need a sound-proof room to make music? And doesn't every happy house need to have praise music flowing through it's halls on a daily basis?
Anyway, despite my failures to promote musical awareness with my oldest children, last weekend I was pleasantly surprised. As Dear Husband pulled into the church parking lot on Sunday morning, he said that our oldest son started singing Here I am to Worship. Dear Husband was quite impressed!
Our younger son also got our attention on Sunday night. We overheard the boys playing in the room when the younger one started singing, "Oh happy day, happy day..." As we heard him singing on key, Dear Husband and I gave each other those smug, we-are-such-awesome-parents-looks. But then my 3 year old continued, "...happy day, when I washed my hands and rubbed them together..." Okay, so he doesn't exactly understand the song. He was close; but he missed the theology in its entirety.
What a good reminder for Mommy of something to work on at home. We shouldn't leave the singing and praising God for just at church. Wouldn't it be awesome if our homes were characterized by praise and worship on a daily basis too?! I can't think of a better environment for raising a child. And I think it's a great way to teach our children how to praise and worship God.
