Karaoke Night

#inspiration, #Jesus, life, personaWe had no intention of singing. The visit to a Karaoke night was purely for entertainment purposes.

The range in vocal ability and style was vast. One woman was shy and faced away from the audience when she sang. Some were modest and sang from the heart. Others had fun and interacted with the audience. They all brought enjoyment to the evening.

We overheard conversations about practice and performance skills from a few. They took this very seriously.

I was fascinated to watch and listen as the singers took on a new persona when they picked up the microphone. Once the music started it seemed as if they thought they had become the original artists. Maybe the impersonation of someone they admire helped boost their self-esteem.

This is not a judgment, as I know I’ve done the same thing. When I see how popular and successful you are, it is only natural to want to duplicate this in my own life. The trouble is, I’m not you and never will be. Instead of striving to be like you, I need to be the best possible version of me.

Ironically, the way to do that is to model myself after a well-known figure. Jesus is the only one I should be striving to emulate. In fact, he wants me to mold my life after his. The more I am able to do this, the better my life will become.

I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better. (Ephesians 1:17 GWT)

The Holiday Train

God, Jesus, distractions, gifts, inspirationThe CP Holiday Train was scheduled to make a stop in our area and my husband and I made plans to meet family there. Our granddaughters ran to greet us and then returned to playing in the snow.

The park soon filled up with families excited for the arrival of the train. The engine and boxcars were adorned with coloured lights. After the train came to a stop, the side of one of the boxcars was lowered to become a stage. Singers and musicians appeared on the boxcars, decorations, lightsstage to entertain the crowd.

The children, however, didn’t seem to care about the train or the performance. They were happy to be playing in the snow that had fallen that afternoon. Truthfully, the performance wasn’t the highlight for me, either.

As I looked at the boxcars festooned with Christmas lights I was reminded of the brightly decorated boxes under the Christmas tree. Like the stage on the train, we may have expectations of what is inside but there is no way to know until the box or gift is opened.

None of these gifts is as meaningful as the one that God gave us when he sent his son. Jesus didn’t arrive on a brightly lit train or with fanfare. He came to us humbly, being born in a stable. His life was not one of performance, but of service to mankind.

I think that the children had it right. The bright lights and performance could not distract them from the wonder and enjoyment of God’s creation. This year I want to be more like a child as I enjoy of the gifts God has given instead of focusing on the distractions of the world.

He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity. (John 1:4 GWT)

God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. (John 3:16 -17 GWT)

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