I had been struggling with what to blog about today. Since returning from Minneapolis last Monday I have been struggling with a major head cold all week. My head hurt, I coughed a lot, had trouble sleeping and basically felt like I had been hit by a truck – a big truck.
I accomplished only what I had to this last week (which did include finishing Eclipse so I can now read Breaking Dawn that my daughter is finished with) and I wasn’t feeling motivated about anything.
Then I went to church yesterday. My “leaving for college in two weeks” daughter, Cali, was asked to sing in church. She had practiced during the week and prepared. She sang a beautiful version of the hymn “I Know that My Redeemer Lives.”
About halfway through the song Cali lost her place, she is not sure what happened but she couldn’t figure out where she was. She had to stop and ask her accompanist where they were. All in front of our large church congregation. As you can imagine she was embarrassed and frustrated.
Cali is an experienced performer – she has performed dozens of times in school musicals, concerts and competitions as part of a group and as a soloist.
Something amazing happened when Cali lost her place – the spirit touched her and it touched the congregation. You could hear the emotion in her voice and feel it in the congregation.
As she returned to her seat after finishing the song she of course shed a few tears and was disappointed with her performance.
After church, she had so many people come up to her, thanking her for sharing her talent and for bringing the spirit into the meeting. One sweet man told her that the spirit that was felt through her music and her performance was so much greater than the discomfort she had felt.
Another dear, older lady, told Cali that her performance had touched her more than any other song she had ever heard.
As Cali and I talked after church I shared with her that one of the main purposes of music, especially in a church setting, is to help us feel the spirit. Despite that her performance wasn’t flawless – her music had done what it was suppose to do – help people feel the spirit.
Cali expressed that she wished her performance had been flawless but I assured her that there was someone there today, in church, that needed her performance not to be flawless. They needed to feel the emotion and spirit that was in her sweet voice and in the congregation as a result of her imperfect performance.
Not being “perfect” is something I struggle with. I have high expectations of myself and of others despite the fact that I know none of us (including myself) are perfect.
I learned yesterday that through our imperfections and our mistakes we not only grow as individuals but we help others as well, we can touch other people’s lives through our imperfect ones.
I love you Cali and am grateful for the lesson you provided me with.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for that post. I needed that today.
Thank you for writing this! I was just talking about this with my husband. Well-written, thank you so much!
I love that song and can clearly imagine Cali singing it, her way. I think I may even know what version. If it had been a competition, a trip-up in the performance matters. As I am sure she knows, that is not what church it about. Everyone can relate to a public trip-up. That moment undoubtedly added nuance and personalized the message of being redeemed.
I think you and Cali should know that yesterday was a perfect example of how to conduct oneself, when not being “flawless” during a performance, a competition, a recital, an audition, etc.. I know that many, many young women, and even young men, learned from Cali, observing how she handled herself when losing her place. It wasn’t even apparent that she had lost her place. I am sure many of us thought that she was overwhelmed by the Spirit and deeply touched. We ALL were deeply touched by the Spirit. It set the tone for the rest of a wonderful day. Thank you for posting the experience and allowing us to respond to it.
A teachable moment!Thank you.
Joan
That is THEE song that has always bolstered my testimony. To hear a young woman with a beautfiul
voice sing it, would bring me to tears… especially if I can see the person visibly have the spirit touch her.
Wonderful post.
In Arizona now and then on to Utah.
What a beautiful message. I didn’t know you were LDS< but I suspected. Me, too!
I think that story is a perfect example of what we will experience in Heaven. Here on earth we are so far from perfect, but because “My Redeemer lives” we will experience His perfect touch in Heaven. Even though we are imperfect vessels He still uses us to touch lives all of the time.
Excellent post and reminder that we are who He created us to be . . .perfect in His sight and are true purpose is to sing and worship for His glory.