Ariel, The Little Mermaid, had a gorgeous voice. It was so powerful that an unconscious prince remembered the sound. It was well loved, coveted even, that a wicked witch had to have her voice at any length. Dangling the perfect temptation, love, in front of Ariel’s face, the witch made her a bargain she could hardly refuse. But at the last second, mentioned the ultimate sacrifice for this transaction to be complete—Ariel’s voice. Before she could fully consider the consequences, Ariel’s voice was gone.
My voice is a gift, nothing that I earned on my own. In case I forget that my voice is important, I must remember child birth. The sweetest sound to a new mother’s ears (and medical staff’s too!) is a baby’s cry. Their voice.
My DNA, my heritage, my ethnicity, my upbringing, my experiences all add to that voice and play a role in the message God has given me to share.
Yet the choice is all mine– I am never forced to use my voice.
Temptations creep up all the time. Offers of compromise are tossed about like dry, fallen leaves in the breeze. A dollar here, a deal there. Publicity here, a retweet there. Followers here, new friends there. If I nip and tuck my voice, removing all that is truly, honestly, really me then maybe I can sound like _______________(insert name of favourite person here).
But I’m not them. I’m me. My voice is perfect for me, for God’s plan. No matter how much I’m risking to change on the outside, my voice will always give me away.
Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. “You’ve got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away.”~~Matthew 26:73 (The Message)
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PS: At the end of The Little Mermaid, after a dramatic scuffle, Ariel does get her voice back. If only real life would always guarantee a happy ending too…
Whew! That five minutes feels like nano seconds, when you’re writing freely. Your turn to join in the fun. Click below to link up and encourage others. Make the best use of your voice.
