Stop! Take a photo! This is perfect! Wow - amazing. I'm blown away.
Isn't it wonderful when these moments come during our travels? The same is true for our life travels, for our pilgrimage through life. Last night was such a moment for me.
Actually, I wrote about this evening two years ago, so you can check my bloglist for 2009 and you will find it there. Only a few characters have changed.
So what can I say that's new? I came upon a beautiful spot, much like the last one. It was worth coming back. And it was worth staying on the journey. I've seen again the importance of visualizing the things we're nervous about. I did it again, and the party was even better than two years ago. Peter and I are more harmonious than ever, more people came than ever, I was more relaxed than ever, and I think people communicated more deeply than ever. They're talking already about next year's caroling party. And I bask, amazed, if amazed basking is possible. I love the glow of knowing that I have been the agent for a marvelous evening. I can understand performers better than ever. I am starting to realizing that part of who I am created to be is a performer, and that that is a good thing.
This year we all sang a song I wrote - in both German and English. How good is that, to hear a bunch of people singing your own song?! And my friend Hildburg filmed it. It's on Facebook. I also performed a piece I had actually practiced, and it came off well. I wasn't showing off - I was sharing. I'm learning that performing isn't necessarily showing off. In a way it hurts to learn this lesson, because it still feels a bit like showing off. Growing pains are still pains. But it didn't really hurt this time. And we sang all my favorite carols - in English. I had typed them all out and made photocopies so that people would actually be able to read the lyrics. It worked! You can still do some of your favorite things in a new land where the language is different. It's possible.
Why am I saying this? Because you probably have some area in your life - a piece of land somewhere, someplace you're just dying to explore, to make a part of you, but you're afraid to go there. I'm telling you, go! But prepare beforehand.
Go to God. If you think this land is forbidden territory, talk to God about it. Think about it. If it isn't immoral or harmful to you, your trepidation is probably just your own fear. Ask God to help you overcome your fear. Jesus took all our fears, all our damage to himself at the cross. And overcame it when he overcame death. He really did. So we can overcome these hindrances in our lives. We won't always be able to overcome everything holding us back - there are sometimes mountains that are truly too high. With my asthma, my knees and my physical laziness, I'll never be an Olympic sprinter. But I'll continue to overcome and grow, also in that area. And so will you.
Dare to try the scary thing. Imagine God helping to make it a success. Imagine yourself in a specific scene. Who's there? How does it feel to be successful? What unfulfilled thing can you imagine being fulfilled? Exactly how does this happen? What would you like to have happen? Imagine it happening, but don't be surprised if it happens in a way different to what you imagined. That's also part of the journey. It's full of surprises.
What were my surprises? I invited two former enemies. One is again my dear friend. We managed to completely overcome our difficulties of the past. We have both changed so much. She is the one who filmed the singing. Another one phoned to cancel, but deeply moved that I invited her, thrilled to be invited. Soon I'll be visiting her at the stables, and learn a little about her new passion - riding. And I'll learn more about her as I find out what horses mean to her. There's more for us to explore as we overcome our past.
One day, I will be doing an entire evening of performing music I have either written or practiced. Or doing a reading. Or both. I already have someone asking me to co-host a musical evening with him. Want to come? Or maybe you have an event coming up you'd like to invite me to.
Have a happy 2012! And have fun, exploring new territory.
