Keep Singing, WMU
Illinois WMU president Kaye Shipley and I were traveling late one night. We had already been in the van together for 16 hours. After exhausting every potential discussion topic, we sat quietly in the darkness. We only had 50 miles to our final destination, but it took every ounce of energy to keep our focus on the road.
Then in the stillness, Kaye began to softly sing a hymn in her beautiful voice. I joined in even though my singing is anything but harmonious. Kaye did not seem to mind. When we finished the song, I started another hymn, and she joined me.
We sang our way through 25 hymns. When one of us could not remember a stanza, the other would recall the words. Sometimes we would simply hum to finish out a verse. I have to tell you, it was one of the most sacred worship experiences I have ever had.
God brought that precious memory to mind as I drove home following Kaye’s tragic death. I wondered whether singing might assuage the wave of grief that had enveloped me. I knew better than to begin with “It Is Well with My Soul,” so I started to sing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” I could not get through the first verse. I felt like I had let Kaye down. I drove on feeling defeated and even sadder.
On the trip home, though, God brought other images of this sweet WMU leader to mind. I could see Kaye at camp pushing boats on the dock as Girls in Action participants giggled with delight. I saw her feeding a meal to people experiencing homelessness in Chicago, Illinois.I replayed in my mind watching her sort school supplies in East Saint Louis, stuffing Lottie Moon Christmas Offering packets, and setting up bookstores at countless events.
I remembered Kaye playing with children in an orphanage in Peru and doing a devotion during a Thanksgiving service in Bulgaria. I imagined Kaye swinging a hammer on our women’s build projects. I could see her leading conferences and committees, always with a sweet disposition and kind words.
As the images kept coming to mind, I suddenly heard the words, “Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee” (“How Great Thou Art,” Stuart Hine, 1949). It took me a moment to realize I was singing. There it was. Yes, God can give us a voice to sing no matter the circumstances.
Keep singing, WMU. When the road is long, sing. When you are exhausted and cannot take another step, sing. When the frustrations of life consume your spirit, sing. When you don’t know which way to turn, stop and sing. And when God calls you homeward to join Him, yes, of course, sing.
Father,
Thank You for faithful WMU leaders like Kaye. Her small stature and quiet spirit belied the fact that she was a missions giant with a heart for the entire world. Help us learn from her example and keep our focus on You and sining with our whole hearts.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Sandy Wisdom-Martin serves as executive director-treasurer of WMU.