a joyful noise

When I was 15 I helped out in a sunday school class for 3rd grade. My job was to be one on one with a downs syndrome boy. It was great; we laughed , we colored animals the wrong color, and it was nice to have little responsibility (there was only 1). After class I took him to sing in big church until his family came to sit with him.
this was my FAVORITE part of the day. While everyone kinda mumbled songs or tried desperately to sing sweetly, Johnathan would BELT at the TOP OF HIS LUNGS whatever song was playing. His english was marbled and the veins would pop out, but you could tell: he loved Jesus. Kids would laugh and wondered why I wasn't embarrassed by him. All I could reply was God told us to make a joyful noise, and he looks at our heart; where was their hearts?
Before I got pregnant with Zoe, I was in BSF over in West Ashley and there was a woman who would sing in the beginning who trully had a horrid voice. She would try to sing harmony and seriously sang like she was living in tonedeaf nations. but after a couple weeks, I fell in love with sitting next to her. I wanted to hear her sing because I knew unlike some of the other conservative ladies in the room, she sang for an audience of one and I wanted that and smiled every time I heard her.
Today I sat in a new BSF class in Hanahan. We sang a song that I haven't sung in YEARS, so I just sang that much louder. It's like how people say smells trigger memories, this song triggered memories of God's faithfulness to me. Iwas singing for my Lord. I slightly felt like I was singing alone because all the ladies around me were mumbling the words. Afterward, the girl next to me told me how beautiful my voice was and how glad she was that I sang loudly. I started to blush and then wondered, why weren't they speaking (I mean singing) up.
Yes, I can appreciate a good singer just as anyone else, but I would rather hear the entire sanctuary reverb because everyone in the room was belting it out like Johnathan, and hopefully my crack voice will come out and someone will be encouraged to sing louder for the One who matters.