“Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.” – Psalm 119:54
Good or bad, family names carry connotations. When I think of the Manning family, I think of National Football League quarterbacks. The mere mention of the Manson family conjures up horrific images of mass murders. The Bradys, on the other hand, remind us of the blended, somewhat corny family from the popular 1970’s television show.
That brings us to Brad, Jenny, Carolyn, Mary Brook, and Ann Marie— collectively known as The Diamond Family. When I think of these exceptional Christian friends of mine, I can’t help but think about music. This family lives, breathes, is energized by, and inspires others with their music.
The chorus to Alton Howard’s popular hymn “He Gave Me Song” states, “He gave me a song, to sing about; He lifted me from sin and doubt; O, praise His name, He is my King; A wonderful song, He is to me.”
God gave the Diamond family a song; actually, a trove of wonderful songs. In fact, if you’re around the Diamond family, you’re going to hear an abundance of singing. Brad is a talented, accomplished tenor and Associate Professor of Voice at Samford University. From soloing before large concert halls to leading singing at small congregations, God gave Brad a song.
Using her Bachelor of Music Education degree, Jenny has performed with various choral groups around the world, and has directed adult, high school, and children’s choirs for over 20 years. God gave Jenny a song.
Not surprisingly, Brad and Jenny’s three girls inherited their musical genes. While sitting in the family room of their Alabama home, I once heard Carolyn sing the entire Phantom of the Opera soundtrack while dancing downstairs in the basement. Whether singing before audiences in plays and musicals or with a small group of Honduran children on a mission trip, these precious girls have been given a song by God.
As good as they are individually, the Diamond family takes it to a whole new level when they sing together. Sometimes their performances are planned, like when they serenaded my youngest son and his bride with an Irish blessing at their wedding.
Often the family spontaneously and powerfully breaks out in song, catching everyone else off guard. It may be at the breakfast table, when Mary Brook sings the first phrase to a song, and they all join in with full harmony. It may be in the car on a family trip, as they shake the roof with a favorite hymn. Wherever it is, it’s always a joy to hear.
The note from the margin reads: What a beautiful notion! It seems the psalmist sings about God wherever he goes! I suspect if the Diamond family ever traveled with the psalmist, they would join in. In a very real sense, their lives are an unending song, with each day a different verse.
