A few nights back I went to my daughter's sixth grade band concert. In our school district sixth grade is the first available grade to participate in the band program. Our daughter chose to play the saxophone and I remember the first time she placed that reed in her mouth-Whoa Nelly! As I sat and listened to all of the students play-I found myself captured in their perseverance to learn their instrument-to watch and focus on their conductor-to let the music play. I know it was only a group of sixth graders and what I'm about to say may shock you...but it was BEAUTIFUL!
To see on their faces the sense of accomplishment of what each individual added to the whole-to hear the applause of the crowd~
What a great picture of our lives in Christ.
Admittedly it is not an easy road to walk, this narrow road, but it is the road we are called to when we surrender our lives to the One who created us-letting Jesus take the lead as we learn to die to ourselves and give him ownership of all we are and all we have-as we learn to become new creations in Christ! The old begins to fade away as the new comes-it is a road of perseverance [Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.] Romans 5:3-5
-a road of keeping our heads up and our eyes FIXED on Jesus! (Heb 12:2)
Let's be an excited people living this life out loud-walking this narrow road unahamed sharing the GOOD NEWS of our Savior to all who will listen and be individuals who add to the whole!
