If you know me, you know I believe that each of us on earth has a purpose that is in some way related to serving our family members, neighbors, and fellow earthy inhabitors. Sometimes when I think about it, it seems ridiculous, even to me. I mean, there are so many people! And each one has a purpose? But, of course, it is true. And for each time you answer your call to serve, I want to say, "Thank You!" (I hope this video will play for you.)
Today I was honored to witness a group of musicians serving others by sharing their incredible talents. The members of the Lambertville Brass Band performed a concert at a nursing home/senior center for an audience comprised mostly of the elderly and their caregivers. As the mother of a trombonist, this type of venue wasn't new, and so I sat there enjoying the moment with the audience. As the songs ticked by I began to ponder the service these musicians were performing on a beautiful Sunday afternoon when they could have been anywhere. They were here. That seemed extraordinary, even as it was the norm for this group. Then something happened that was neither overly amazing or earth-shattering, but it was transformative just the same. The band played a conglomeration of older tunes, and when the song, "Daisy, Daisy" came on, the audience, jolted into the moment by memories, began to sing along. It was beautiful! It was touching! It was so amazing in fact, that just after the chorus ended and the band began playing the next tune in the combined piece, the conductor gave the signal to stop. The music came to a halt and he turned to the audience and clapped for them, elderly men and women, mostly in wheelchairs, all of them unaware of how much they had just served the conductor and his band. The conductor proclaimed, "That was so beautiful, I want to hear it again!" He promptly led the band in repeating that part of their music so that the audience could sing along, louder this time, feeling every note and enjoying the trip to memories of happy times.
Who was serving whom? That beautiful moment was possible because those folks in the Lambertville Brass Band were willing to serve. This all-volunteer band, full of amazingly talented individuals, affected people today and brought joy to the hearts and souls of a room full of amazing human beings. Could they have been anywhere else? Yep. But they weren't. They were available to serve their elders and those who care for them, and in the end, I think they may have been the ones served when their music touched hearts and created a combined effort of happiness.
We are all called to serve. The way we are called and the audience we are led to is different, not only for each of us, but also in varying ways at different stages of our lives. How are you called to serve today? What talent do you possess that you share with the world? Better yet, how can your family or your classroom full of students serve others? In Connections Across the Student Desk, I challenge the reader to find a way to share their unique gifts that fits "naturally" with their groove. I go on to point out that I used "naturally", not "comfortably" on purpose.
When we serve others, we need to do so in a way that fits into our way of living. For example, I am the first to say that my family will never be in a position to volunteer financial service. It is not a natural way for us to serve because we rarely have extra money to donate to others. Luckily, financial service comes naturally to others, so my family can instead donate our time and love of children, music, coaching, whatever. This doesn't mean that we are always comfortable in our service. Service can be challenging, and that is OK. It is a stretching of our comfort and a strain on what we would be doing if we weren't serving. I would bet that any one of those musicians today would have loved to have had that time in their gardens, watching a ball game, hanging out with friends, etc...but they were instead sharing their natural talents, and in turn, their joy, with those in attendance. That is a gift! That is service! That is what we are all called to find our way to do.
Need ideas or more encouragement? Check out Connections Across the Student Desk, available on:
Thank you for reading!