In the late 1990’s I was in high school and attended a youth camp. During the worship time, most people would stand and sway, hands raised, during the modern worship music. The same people sang in hearty, loud voices during traditional hymns. The camp director said if we truly adored God, we would be courageous and worship in this fashion. Everyone cheered, seeming to agree. However, this did not resonate with me. Because it wasn’t me. It still isn’t. 

At my impressionable age, being different felt lonely despite my independent nature. Was something wrong with me? Did adoring God mean expressing myself through music in a public manner? I supposed that was one good way, but why was I being told this was the most honorable way to worship? I would rather do almost anything else than sing publicly.   

I am unsure when it happened, but at some point I began to realize that an Infinite Being’s opinion of me probably went far beyond American church music preferences and trends. Why would my personality and introversion during musical situations anger such a Being, hurt His feelings, or cause Him to be disappointed in me if He truly is compassionate and wise?  

The connection I feel with God when I garden, getting my hands covered in flower petals and earth, is adoration. 

When my coworkers show pictures of their family helping friends in South Asia, the deep love and respect I feel for their Christ-like character is adoration toward God for such a family.  

When I pick up a pen and begin the writing process, my soul can finally be seen in words. I lift my words up to God as the most true adoration I can offer, because writing is who I am. 

God has no mold for me. Offering my Creator my most genuine self in all my daily activities; reveling in that strong sense of purpose—that sort of adoration honors Him. I believe He was always pleased with me– even in my teenage years when I was struggling to understand this. Even when I was wondering if it was okay to be the introverted observer who would rather sit in the back of church during the music–or somewhere besides church–to write and study the etymology of an interesting word.