The gift of music.

Something cool I've been experiencing lately is the gift of music. For me, music is a way of life. I've been around it since I was young, playing piano and learning the theory behind music. 

Since coming to base, I've realized how much of a gift that actually is. I take for granted that God gave me the gift of music when in truth not everyone has that gift. I got ahold of a ukulele soon after coming to base, and getting to play that and get that constant from home on the other side of the world is a huge blessing. Also, I've been allowed to play a piano on base which has also been really amazing! 

Something else that I've been blessed by is the people who have never heard me sing before. At home, especially at church and in choir at school, I've been playing and singing for so long that it feels like I (and everyone else) take my skills and talent for granted. When I first started playing here, everyone told me how talented I was... And it was really great to be reminded of! I consider myself a very mediocre singer/musician so I was hugely blessed by the encouragement of these people. 

Since I am an extrovert and I come from a family of mostly introverts, my family always wonders where I get my enjoyment of being on stage from. My dad's side of the family is quite musical, but prefers being in the back and not speaking. I quite enjoy performing, and I often jumped at the opportunity to make announcements for my parents at church because I enjoy being on stage and they do not. I wouldn't necessarily say they're introverts, because my parents are some of the friendliest people I've ever met, but they just don't enjoy the stage. 

We eventually figured out I got my stage presence from my paternal grandfather, my dad's dad. I really love this because a lot of my favourite memories of music come from him and my grandmother. Whether singing with them at church, or singing carols at Christmas, or listening to my grandpa's quartet, or singing the same song in my choir as he was in his, my favourite musical memories come from the wielers. 

This song, I recently found in one of my music books. I read the chorus and instantly remembered standing next to my grandpa sharing his hymnal and listening to his deep voice belt out this song. My grandma and I sing the alto line together and play piano together and we just generally have a really great time. 

Music has a way of crossing boundaries. It defies age, gender, class, and religion. People can come together over a song when they wouldn't have through anything else. In choir in high school, my absolute favourite memory is finally mastering the Hallelujah chorus. I can just remember every time I sang it, finishing and just having the biggest smile because of how good it feels to master that song. So many people come together to sing such a beautiful, intricate, complicated song. When we sang it, people who knew it would sing along. When we sang "great is thy faithfulness" for LCS Sunday, people sang right along with us, no matter the age or stage in life. 

So today, appreciate the value that music gives. It triggers memories, crosses boundaries, creates joy, inspires change, and brings people together like nothing else can. Even if you're not musical, enjoy some music today. Maybe play a song that triggers a memory for you for someone you care about. Most of all, never take the gifts God has given you for granted. He has made each individual person so incredibly talented and don't forget that. 

In Him, the joyous mover and festive dancer, 

-Cailey

I stand amazed in the presence 

Of Jesus the Nazarene 

And wonder how He could love me, 

A sinner, condemned, unclean. 

How marvellous! How wonderful! 

And my song shall ever be 

How marvellous! How wonderful! 

Is my Saviour's love for me!