(Originally typed 1/14/11. Edited on the date of the post)
Well I ended last year with controversy. That’s all I got to say about that. It’s a new year so as far as I’m concern, that blog is last years problem. Yet, I still welcome your comments.
So, Happy New Year! I hope all of your 2011 has gotten off to a great start. If you’re alive to read this blog, then it has. This year has already gotten off to a fresh start for me. I’m already doing stuff I’ve never done before. That’s not a bad thing either. I’ve heard it said that if you want different, you got to do different. I’m not going to say exactly what I’ve been doing, but let’s just say that it has not been easy.
I came into this year with three goals for myself. Just three. The first two kind of go hand and hand. The goals were to make some money either by job or doing what I love to do, get my drivers license, and go out on a first date. Yeah, I know the last one seems a little like, really Daniel? Really? Well for one, I didn’t say these were your goals for me; these are my goals for me. Got me? Now, this would usually be the part where I talk about what I’m looking for in a woman, but to stay away from trouble…moving on. So far this year, I’ve drove to the library with my dad, and I’ve applied for a job. Who knows? Maybe at least 2 of the goals can be met before the year really gets started. How awesome would that be?
Now shifting to a completely different mood and subject because that’s what I do. It’s my blog. Years ago, I sang my first solo which was Victory Chant by Donnie McClurkin. To say I was nervous…you would be right. I was. I was so nervous that by the end of the song, I forgot the words. After that, I sang a couple of solos here and there, did some praise and worship, but nothing to brag about. My “stage presence” was not that good yet. Then a couple of years after that, we switched churches and came to the church I attend now, New Harvest Ministries C.O.G.I.C. I was just chillin by the drum set not doing much. Unbeknownst to me, my sister and mom was telling the music president at the time that I could sing. So one Sunday, after church, the music president called me up and told me to sing something. So I sang a little bit of Password by Canton Jones. Then bam, I became a member of the choir. I stayed in the choir not volunteering to lead anything. One night the choir was learning You Are the Living Word by Fred Hammond. I got volunteered to take a crack at it. It ended up being that I took the low part and my mom took the high part. Looking back on it, it was the right thing to do because I had no confidence whatsoever. I remember when it came time to sing it on Sunday; I didn’t look up from my feet once. I really didn’t want to do it, but I was obedient.
This is all leading up to something, believe me.
Time moved on, and the church got a new music president. Still I was fine with staying in the choir. Again, I had no confidence in my voice. I was told I was natural baritone. So I automatically didn’t even try to push myself to increase my range. Then one night, we were going to learn Perfect Peace by Marvin Sapp. Guess who was volunteered to lead it? I took a stab at it. Had no adlib what so ever. It’s not that I didn’t know the song, it’s just my mind drew a blank. So I came home and listened to the song and studied the Bible thinking I was going to lead it. Come time before service when we go over what we’re going to do before service, and I’m no longer leading it. I was told that the right song was going to come to me. The song in my “range.” Up to my move to the Midwest, that didn’t happen. I was beginning to feel not needed not wanted. I couldn’t hit the notes I was supposed to hit as a tenor. It was not a fun time.
The beginning of 2010, I made a move to the Midwest to “start a new life.” The “new life” was a same old life, different time zone. At no fault of anybody but my own. Now some good things did happen while in the Midwest. Somehow or another I gained the confidence that I was lacking. I was no longer afraid to lead a song. I played the drums with more confidence and sang with more confidence. That part of the move was fun. The main and only song I led while up there was Made A Way by Bishop Larry Trotter. I knew the song from when I learned it at New Harvest. So it wasn’t hard for me to take and lead the song. That became “Daniel’s song,” and it would go over great every time. When we went to another church and I had to lead, I took it and ran with it. With no fear. That was big for me.
So June came and I’m back in SC because I didn’t do what I was supposed to do in the Midwest. I’m back in the choir a couple of weeks later. Weeks went by and it was the same thing. Until…One night I walked in, and I heard it a familiar song playing over the speakers. It was one of my Dad’s favorite songs, God Is by DeWayne Woods. We were going over it and I, along with my dad who was sitting in the back of the church, was helping the choir with the words. Come time to find a leader, and viola, I was chosen. I grabbed the mic, and with the same confidence I had in the Midwest, I went in. No fear. It was crazy. Low and behold, weeks later, I also ended up leading Made A Way. I went from no songs with no confidence to two songs with great confidence.
Now to the point of this part of the blog, this past Sunday night (1/09/11) I went back to the church where I had my first solo. I went in thinking that I was just going to stay in the congregation and enjoy service, but come to find out, the choir was up for 2 selections. The first selection was God Is. Again to say I was nervous…again you would be right. This time however I prayed. I asked God for strength and to have His way. I went up there and just let the Lord use me. To do that in front of the people, and in the church where it all started, and for the people to see how I’ve grown up literally before their eyes, was overwhelming. I broke down afterwards.
All the glory belongs to God. That experience right there let me know that 2011 is going to be a completely different year for me. I’m ready. I hope you all are ready.
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Stay Saved,
Daniel Richerson
