I gazed out over the congregation as I adjusted the shoulder strap on my guitar.  Feeling nervous and mentally scattered, I strummed the strings to make sure the sound man had turned up the volume.  How would I introduce the song?  Was this the right song for this service?
This weekend, Walter and I had two missions conferences to participate in - 'tis the season for fall mission emphasis weekends!  Friday evening, we joined the Parliament Community Church family as they had invited several of the missionaries they support to give reports and set up displays representing their ministries. How blessed we are to have caring folk ask how we are doing, how is your daughter, how is the ministry?  Sitting in small groups, we prayed for others and they prayed for us in our various ministries.
Saturday morning we drove out to Weyburn to the Silver Heights Bible Church's missions conference.  Walter was the keynote speaker and their planning committee had asked me to share some music.  Just a glitch - I had left my guitar up at the chapel at the NCEM headquarters in Prince Albert.  And my music binder.
So that's why I felt more nervous and unprepared as I used my secondary guitar and borrowed my daughter's music binder.  But somehow, only one song seemed to come to mind and I couldn't sing it for all three services in the conference!  I felt so inadequate.
I made it through the morning and evening services. But I prayed for wisdom to know what to share and the heart preparation to minister for the Lord on Sunday morning.
Hosea 6:6 was a verse I had read in a devotional book a day or two ago.  I came back to it this morning before we again jumped in our car to drive back to Weyburn.  Walter had his message prepared and was running some of his main points by me.  I kept praying for his sermon and my music to be from our hearts.  The verse says: "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."
Walter suggested I use the same song from Saturday morning's service and have the words projected for the others in the congregation to join in.  I liked that idea!
I felt less nervous to lead a song than to "perform" a special number.  The song was "By Faith" by the Gettys and I found the words to be especially suited for a missions focus.  All that we do as believers is by faith and our ministry efforts can only be fruitful if done by faith. 
So I gazed out on congregation - with more in the pews than the night before, but I felt the Lord giving me peace and confidence as I led the song. 
It was a blessed weekend. Ministering to our support team is an offering that the Lord will accept as we know it is done in deep gratitude for their prayers and sacrificial giving.