Speak What is True

When I saw SJ up on the stage at the church I went to growing up I couldn’t help but let the tears come.

It was such an answer to prayer to watch her use her gift of sign as a ministry. A couple of months ago I shared a video of the two of us signing “Gratitude by Brandon Lake”.

My friend who is a dance teacher wanted to know if SJ and I would be interested in incorporating ASL into the dance she was working on with her class. I agreed without hesitation and SJ was all in as well. SJ’s cousins are a part of this ballet and she was very excited to work on this project with them!

Then we got to meet a new friend and that was icing on the cake.

Morelia’s sister is in the ballet too and it turns out Morelia knows some sign language so she was the perfect partner for SJ. She actually learned to sign before she could talk. It was a great resource for her since some of her medical challenges delayed her speech. SJ had the same experience as a toddler due to her deafness. The two girls are the same age and both worked very hard to learn all of the sign language and practice with the ballerinas.

I love how God brought this beautiful and diverse group of young ladies together to spread a message of his love.

SJ’s genetic mutation is called connexin 26. Morelia’s is 22Q, but their act of worship was proof that no diagnosis or numbers were going to hold them back. It was a joy to watch all of the girls.

The lyrics to the song say “Here’s my heart Lord, speak what is true”. As I watched Morelia and SJ sign those words I loved how they were sharing the words in a voiceless language.

It makes me think of how God speaks to us. Don’t get me wrong, I fully believe that God can and does use an audible voice, but how often does he speak to us in other ways? In the Bible we see him use a rainbow, a dove, a donkey, a burning bush and more. He can speak to us through nature and the arts. He can use anyone and or anything. When the girls did their performance, I heard the words and I saw an interpretation through dance and though sign. It was a powerful reminder of the limitless ways that God can speak his truth.