A Beautiful Thing

My daughter just started the 5th grade.

Apparently, this means she has to choose either band or choir.

Serious? Those are the options? What about breakdancing? Or beatboxing?

I really pushed for choir. It seemed like the lesser of two evils.

I was nervous that she might continue in band through high school…

Anyway, she chose band. She wants to play the clarinet.

My house will soon be filled with the terrible sound of a grade-school child learning to play a horn.

And I know there’s gonna be a band concert at her school that I will be attending. I’ll send you an invitation too.

The truth is, I’m going to be proud of my daughter playing her clarinet.

It will be a beautiful sound—squeaks and everything.

For the past few days, I’ve also been thinking about the story of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus.

Her expression of worship was criticized by Judas and the other disciples…

But Jesus silenced them and defended her.

“Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.” (Matthew 26.10 CEV)

The disciples thought what she did was ugly, tasteless, and unnecessary.

Jesus disagreed, saying: “no, that was beautiful.”

When we worship Him—it’s a beautiful thing, squeaks and all.

Don’t become a band critic, a clarinet critic, a music critic, or a worship critic.

Be a worshiper—because to Jesus, it’s always a beautiful thing.