When I look back over my life I see a beautiful gift God has given me. Singing. I have loved singing since I was 2 years old. It has been my passion in life. To share my heart through song.
When I got older, I stopped using my voice for the Lord. I decided, when I was about 16 years old, to sing the kind of music I wanted, instead of using and stewarding the gift the way God intended me to. For His glory. My Momma would say to me often, “Honey you better use that voice for the Lord. God giveth and He can take it away.” Of course I was 16 and thought I knew it all, and no way would God do that. Well turns out my Momma was right, God got my attention, He humbled me, and He took my voice.
I became sick with a head cold and a sore throat. After a month everything cleared up except the hoarseness in my voice. At the time I couldn’t understand what was going on. 6 months later, still no voice, the pastor of my now home church, had spoken with my grandfather and had asked if I would come sing for youth Sunday. Me being the perfectionist I am, I said no, but my Papaw being the respectable stubborn man he was, told me that I would sing. So I went and I sang. I was so nervous because I hadn’t had a voice for 6 months, but the very first note that came out of my mouth was the clearest note my Momma said she had ever heard out of me. I sang the song all the way through with a clear voice.
What I worried about the most during that time was how could I be Michaella Hedden without my voice? It took me 9 years later, and being in a completely different country, to finally see what God has been trying to tell me.
Riding on the bus to our ministry site in Vietnam, I was watching the 50th CMA Awards on YouTube. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s the country music awards. Those of you who know me, know that I cried over Dolly’s song ” I Will Always Love You” being sung by the many women of country music. Lol
After watching it God began to speak to me. I am more than my voice. You see, even if I had never got my voice back at 16. Even if I never stand on a stage and receive an award for Female Vocalist of the year. My identity, who I am, isn’t in my gift. My identity is in the Giver! Jesus’s blood that was spilt on the cross made me worth more than just singing, it made me a daughter of the most High King!
So just know that your worth and who you are is found in Jesus. It isn’t found in what you’ve done in the past. It isn’t found in what you are good at. It is found in Him as a Son or Daughter of God!
