glorifying God with a loud voice

My son, like me, can't carry a tune; we are essentially tone deaf. But rather than inhibit his ability to worship the Lord through song, this fact serves only to create the opportunity for him to be a witness to others. For the past two years, during Christmas Eve services at church -- where we don't have childcare for kids his age -- my son sits with us in the sanctuary. And per Christmas Eve tradition, we sing carols, familiar enough that even my son knows the words. This year, in addition to singing familiar songs, my son can read, so every song instantly becomes knowable.

My son sings at the top of his lungs, off-key for every song. Rows in front of us and in back of us can pick out his little voice amidst the congregational singing. You know who else can hear my son's singing? The Lord God Almighty, and I'm certain no other voice pleased Him as much as my son's voice.

We always receive compliments after the service is over at how wonderful his singing was. And these are not meant to be patronizing words of praise that are deceitful. No, off-key or otherwise, it is wonderful singing because it's from a heart of worship sung for the Lord and not for any other. No perfect pitch, but a perfectly-intentioned heart, and that's all that matters to the Lord. Those of us in my son's pew row actually sang even louder than normal since my son was so vocal. And for me, I sang louder, not to cover up his singing, but because in a reversal of example, I so very much wanted to be like my son, all in worship, all unconscious of external opinion, all singing as loudly as I could for the Lord.