Back in middle school, the swirling cauldron of life lessons it seems, I decided to try out for the middle school praise team. It was my first time auditioning for anything (unless you count the time my best friend and I tried out for the talent show - I don't). I walked in and saw Goodwin behind a folding table with my audition sheet under his pen. I was scared. Very scared. He asked me what I wanted to do in the praise team. I remember mumbling something about being able to sing and play the piano (badly), guitar (barely), and flute. He turned to whoever was next to him and said, "Hey, wouldn't that be awesome? To have a flute?"
Thus, I was in the middle school praise team, playing along with the guitar cords, being miked at the wrong end, and attempting to not be heard.
Fast forward to the next year's auditions. Same room, same table, same Goodwin. This year's interview posed a new question: "Why do you want to be the middle school praise team?" Caught off guard, I told him the first thing that came to mind: "Well, I believe God has given me a gift for playing the flute, and I want to give it back to Him."
Tonight, I attended the concert of arguably the world's greatest flutist. He conquered every piece with absolute brilliance: his vibrato was heartbreaking, his double tonguing astounding, his fingering remarkable. He had perfect joy in his work; the audience's standing ovations were merely auxiliary factors in his delighted satisfaction.
It seems as though I have lost my joy for many things in my life. I get so caught up in the crazy scheduling, the fruitless rehearsals, the frustrating people involved, that I lose the whole reason I do anything: to glorify God, and then, seeing Him pleased, bringing happiness to others and maybe even myself. I love those moments where I'm up on stage, playing a solo on my flute straight from my heart, feeling God's pleasure on me. That is where I find true joy and satisfaction. Trust me - I've searched other places.
I want to give myself - my talents, my gifts, my hopes, my dreams, my potential - back to God. I want to be one in whom He is well pleased.
Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee... Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love... Take my feet and let them be consecrated, Lord, to Thee... Take my voice and let me sing, always, only, for my King...Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee... Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold... Take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose... Take my will and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine... Take my heart it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne... Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store... Take myself and I will be, ever, only, all for Thee...
1 comment:
I absolutely love the fact that I have been relegated to "whoever was next to him." I do. I really do. :-)
And, Feeny, rest assured that regardless of how much of his pleasure you feel, you will forever be one in whom he is well pleased. Punching bag or no.
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