Lift up thy heart and rejoice

For my soul delighted in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads. Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made.
Doctrine and Covenants 25:12-13

I have always loved this scripture, and I love to sing. Lately, I haven't been able to sing as I could in the past. This has been a trial to me, and I have missed being able to sing praises with enthusiasm in church and in choir. When I can sing at all, I can only sing quite softly. I can usually sing the opening hymn at church, but sometimes my voice gives out before the end of even that song.

Today in church, I sang the first verse of the opening hymn with little difficulty, but by the second verse, I was struggling. My heart was touched as I croaked through the words "There is music in my soul today, a carol to my king, and Jesus listening can hear the songs I cannot sing." It reminded me of a Sunday when no music would come out of my throat so I just mouthed the words. In my heart I felt the same devotion that I feel when I vocalize, and I was richly rewarded for my effort to participate with the congregation. I felt the spirit testify of the truths I was singing silently.

It is a comfort to my heart to know that when I can't sing, Jesus will listen to the song in my heart. Whether the inability to sing is physical or brought about by joy, or pain, that is too much to express, I know that Jesus listens. He knows our hearts, and he cares about what we are feeling. Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made!