Lessons Learned
The Sound
Of Heaven
I sometimes wonder if the
sound of Heaven will be children’s voices singing, because on earth, there is
nothing more precious, more beautiful than this. Frequently, when I am accompanying
our three hundred elementary aged students singing with all of their hearts in
our weekly chapel, I close my eyes and feel overwhelmed by the power of their
sweet yet unconstrained and glorious sound. Absolutely angelic. One year, with
the sixth graders, we were working on creating motions to a contemporary
Christian song which we were preparing as a part of a program for an upcoming
trip to a retirement center. At last our work was finished, polished, and ready
for sharing. One of our students’ moms heard that the song’s recording artist
was to be in our hometown and on a whim, emailed him describing our project. He
responded and wondered if he might stop in and watch them perform. We
gathered for an all-school assembly and began by singing many songs all
together, filling the gym with huge, magnificent, all-in, raise-the-roof,
beautiful song. He arrived in time to be blessed by this. As he unobtrusively
stood in the gym doorway, he shut his eyes and sang along with the voices of
the three hundred children. He watched the performance of his song. We thought
he would quietly slip out after that to prepare for his own performance that
evening. But no. He asked if he might share a word with the students. He spoke
of love and gifts and music and blessing. He spoke of the importance of
reaching beyond ourselves and sharing. He had the rapt attention of each
student. The gym was silent, but for his voice and words. In closing, he asked
if he might play a song for the students to sing with him, which they were more
than thrilled to do. He played. They sang. He sang along for a while, but then
he closed his eyes, kept playing, and just listened to the children as they
filled the gym with their heavenly voices. He was blessed. They were blessed.
Many are blessed…when children sing.
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