From bent to a beautiful band!

     I think I have had just a tiny taste of what the heavenly choirs might have sounded like on that first glorious Christmas Eve 2000 years ago.
     Because last night we heard my 5th grader play in his school's Christmas band concert.  His group, the Beginning Band, played first.   By the time my husband and I got there, the only seats together were on the front row, so we were pretty much on stage with the kids.  All I could see of my son were his feet--one scuffed brown loafer and one clunky grey boot (broken foot) swinging away to the beat.
      But that was just fine, because all I could see and hear more than made up for that.  The front row of clarinets and flutes were lookin' good and focused hard.  And Nicholas and Sally standing in the back row for the percussion, well, their smiles were worth the price of admission... which was free, incidentally, but actually was priceless.  Because all of us there, I'm sure, pretty much just smiled through the whole thing.  Just a concert of joy.  Another gift from God during this season of gifts--all celebrating the Gift.
     Forgive me if I reminisce for just a moment.   Way back in August, the last entry I wrote before Janie's accident had to do with our son's trombone.  His school, St. David's had just started, and he had just begun playing the trombone in Beginning Band.  We were so ignorant that we assumed he had a bent and defective trombone and took it back to the store.  Wrong. Trombones are supposed to be bent, but that's a whole other story.  And way back in August, our son was producing sounds on the trombone that were... uh... let's just say, "otherworldly."
     Then one week after Peter began school, we were launched into another world of ICU's and comas and parents gone and life completely disrupted.  For weeks and weeks, there is simply no telling what kind of sounds he was producing on that instrument--at home and in class.  But our wonderful band teacher, Mr. Terlizzi--God love that dear man--kept valiantly working with all the kids in Beginning Band (and all the other bands).  I simply cannot imagine what those weeks must have been like and the sounds that must have emanated from the band room.
      And he was especially patient with one little slightly lost 11 year old whose heart was in an ICU room with his sister and whose brain simply couldn't keep up with schoolwork or band playing.  But he kept trying.  And Mr. Terlizzi and all the other incredible teachers kept helping and coaching and encouraging.  It makes me cry even now as I write about it.  What a picture of the body of Christ, of the extended family God gives us in others who walk beside us and carry us when we no longer have the strength to keep going.  What a gift... yet another one, Father.  Thank You.
     Well, slowly the sounds on the trombone improved.  Our older son, Preyer, no longer had to ask Peter if he couldn't practice in the basement (or preferably a soundproof room).  No, the trombone was definitely sounding much better!  Sometimes we could even, almost, recognize a tune.  But we still wondered as we prepared to go to the concert last night, what on earth this was all going to sound like. We simply couldn't imagine how these few disjointed notes and tunes we'd been hearing in practice at home could work into some kind of cohesive whole.
     Wow, were we ever wrong.  Beginning Band sounded great!  Seriously, that little group of 5th graders played their little hearts out, and they were wonderful.  We even had a comedic interlude--with Nicholas and Sally smiling away.  And I just wanted to cry for the joy of it all.
     And then the next bands played.  The Intermediate Band--wonderful.  The Concert Band--fabulous. The Ensemble (I can't remember the full name)--terrific.  If you were not there last night, well, you missed some major joyful noise-making unto the Lord, and it was glorious.  We even finished up with a sing-along.  Thank goodness, because by then I wanted to jump out of my seat for the joy of it all.  And, of course we finished up with a rousing version of "Joy to the Lord."  
     So you know what I learned from all that?  First, it's not where you start, but where you finish.  And all of us are works in progress.  All of us have weaknesses and frailties.  But sometimes you just need to keep practicing, keep showing us, keep "keeping on," and trust that God is working and moving and redeeming and restoring.  And before you know it, He has made something beautiful out of your messes.  Secondly, God didn't make us to be lone-ranger Christians.  We need each other... just like our son needed the rest of his band.  Alone, he sounded okay.  But together, well, musical magic was made!  We need the body of Christ.  We need our friends.  We need each other, and we have to be real with one another and share our weaknesses and our struggles.  And rejoice together in our triumphs and in our Savior who came to resurrect and redeem all those failures.  Boy, did we ever learn the remarkable beauty and strength of the body of Christ during our daughter's accident and recovery.  Can I just say one more time for the record: we never could have made it without our family and friends and the wonderful teachers (and staff) at our children's schools?  I'll never forget it as long as I live.  Thank You for yet another gift, Father.
     And a third lesson: there's nothing like the gift of music!  And is there ever a better time of year than Christmas to belt out a song?  Or listen to an orchestra?  Or just quietly enjoy an old carol and remember the days of your childhood and experiencing the wonder of that song?  Nope, no doubt about it--about this time of year, we need to be singing and playing music and making joyful noises to the Lord for the Gift of His Son!   Who came to redeem and restore.  Who came to make us into the  Body of Christ.  Who came to give us joy.  And Who came to save us from our sins.  If we don't sing, Jesus tells us, the very rocks will cry out.  I'm not letting an old rock out sing me!
     Joy to the World, the Lord is come... and heaven and nature SING!  To God be the glory.