Senior Voices Still Sing


To the chief musician upon Muthabben. A psalm of David. I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart – I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1 NIV


For over thirty years I have been blessed with the fun as well as the privilege of singing for seniors. One challenge in singing for seniors is to get them to sing along. There are multiple reasons why that becomes more difficult over the years, such as our vocal chords weaken, our ears begin to miss some of their range of hearing and our lung capacity diminishes. Of course I did not realize any of this at the beginning. I simply loved singing for my friends and even more, hearing their voices joining in on their favorite hymns. It is ironic that after all these years I am now finding myself up against the wall facing these same obstacles. Each time I tune my guitar and put together a list of hymns I know that the battle to sing them lies just ahead. But what gives me the greatest joy as I put the key in the ignition, start my car and head for nursing home is that I know that I am not Heaven’s song leader and God only asks me to join my voice with that of the chief musician and with all my heart tell in song again all the wonderful deeds of the Lord!

If you are in the same boat with me you may notice that we are surrounded by younger voices and that those leading worship are unaware that our desire to praise is no less than that of our younger brother and sisters. So if you struggle with participating in corporate praise or just wish you could better enter in with those stronger voices around you be encouraged. God is listening to your heart and He will not only help you to keep on singing to the end, but His hearing is excellent and His ears are listening to even our weakest notes of praise!

6 thoughts on “Senior Voices Still Sing

  1. Singing to the Lord is such a blessing. I wrote recently about the Easter I had laryngitis and was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn’t sing, and what was worse than having it be Easter, wanting to sing, and not being able to? The Still, Small voice answered immediately, “What’s worse is having it be Easter, being able to sing, but not wanting to.” I AM glad He hears our hearts!

  2. I love how you said that God listens to our hearts and that He hears our weakest notes of praise. Just another example of how our singing hymns of praise isn’t to be a performance but is to be, as you said, praise. I have sung for years, from solos to choirs, but I sure am not what I used to be. How wonderful that God still loves to hear me sing for Him. Thank you for your words, Pete. Keep singing!

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