So last night was our kids' school musical. For my daughter, this is THE REASON for going to school. She lives for this night. She practices for hours for her 10 minutes on stage, and she diligently memorizes every part in case someone is absent on the day of the show. She bravely and unquestioningly auditions for speaking parts or solos, and it just makes her year if she is chosen for one. She adores her music teacher and can't wait for this night every fall. While on stage, she is fully tuned in to every move made by her teacher as she conducts them. She gives it her all and thrives on being in the spotlight and using her dramatic talents. When it is over, she laments that the best motivation in the world for going to school has passed her by for another year.
This year's musical was about different nations in the world, and it ended with a short segment about how many cultures have come together to make America the great nation that it is. Each grade represented a different culture, and our daughter's was Africa. One of the songs chosen for her class to sing was Kumbaya, in demonstration of the African influence on spirtuals. When our daughter found out that her class would be singing Kumbaya, she immediately went to her teacher (before we knew anything about it!) and told her she probably wouldn't be performing that song, and that she would need to think about how to handle it. Her teacher was surprised, as she knows Kaitlyn's love for the musical, but she was loving and supportive. Scripture teaches us to worship without the use of musical instruments when singing to God. Also, praise songs are not to be used for our personal entertainment, as they are to be directed reverently to God. Worship is not about us, but about the mighty God we serve, and we strive diligently to follow His wishes for how we approach Him. Our daughter (who is only 8!) asked her teacher what she should do, and her teacher said she would support whatever she chose to do. She came and asked us, and we told her that she could either stay on stage and just not sing or she could step off stage. We assumed she would stay on stage to be a part of things, but she said that she would feel hypocritical staying on stage when she knew that the song was not being sung in an appropriate context. So, last night, in front of a packed audience in the elementary school gym, my brave little girl let her light shine so brightly and walked right off that stage before that song. I had teared up a few minutes earlier when she belted out her solo part, but it was nothing like the happy tears in my heart when I saw her march confidently backstage while her class performed Kumbaya. Sometimes we wonder if things are "getting through" to our children, but when I see her do something like that ON HER OWN, without complaining and without drama, I am encouraged by the power of the gospel to work on even stubborn little souls who want everything "my way." I was reminded of how I need to be bold in standing up for our amazing God.
A few days before the performance, we overheard our son talking to his big sister (he is 6). He said, "Sissy, I wish I was in your class." She asked why, and he said, "I hate to think of you standing off stage all by yourself, so I want you to know that I'd be standing right there beside you if I could!" Sweet kids. Happy Mommy. Tears of joy and thankfulness.
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