Recently, I dropped by my friend Iona’s blog to find out that she had wandered upon the television show House.  That happens to be the TV show Rob and I make it a point to watch together each week.  In fact, it is the ONLY TV show that we watch together every week.   

Rob finds it comedic.  “Who would actually be like that?”  I find it a bit fascinating.  I, myself, have often found myself envying people who are so excellent at their profession or art, whichever it actually falls into.  I have found myself wanting to be known for such excellence, to be an expert.  Perhaps it is a feeling that people of such abilities demonstrate their purpose for being on this earth while so many of the rest of us just hope not to hit the infamous list of folks who are merely here taking up space, using up fossil fuels, and keeping the economy going.   

In truth, this being exceptional is something I've been pondering this week.  In fact, it has sat heavily on me.  At one point, I even prayed it to the Lord, "Lord, I want to feel like I am good at something that lasts longer than a clean load of laundry in the hands of a six year-old boy."  Then Tuesday night we went to Anna's concert.   

Anna has been taking a voice class, and the class was presenting their music for the parents to enjoy.  I had heard most of her songs.  She has such a fantastic high-alto/soprano voice that she sounds like an angel when she sings one they did in Latin.  I have no idea how to spell the name, but it is a prayer for peace.  A few songs were silly fun, and the crowd loved them.  But there was one that I had not heard her sing, and as I sat and listened while my daughter looked at me from the stage, tears filled my eyes and slid down my face.  In her beautiful, clear voice, she sang:

Somewhere deep inside me there played a simple song.

But only I could hear it

Only I could sing along

Then one sunny morning

Someone set it free

And all the notes from deep inside

Came pouring out of me

 

Who would believe that this song was in me?

Who could conceive that it would set me free?

All I needed was a chance

One opportunity

A person just like you who saw the very best in me.

 

So now you hear me singing, and I can hear you too

I can hear that melody that's there inside of you

We can share our music and bring our dreams along

Come and we'll make harmony while singing our own song

 

Who would believe that this song was in me?

Who could conceive that it would set me free?

All I needed was a chance

One opportunity

A person just like you who saw the very best in me.

Then I thought, 'That's what I am great at—seeing the best in my children, seeing a vision for them, seeing the magnificence of who they are created to be.'   

What a glorious thing to be good at, eh?  And if someday my children tell their children, "You know, your grandma sought the Lord's heart for us and saw the His vision for us, and she believed we could be all God called us to be.  We are who we are because your grandma saw the best in us," then I think I can live with that kind of legacy and that kind of fame.  Yes, I think I could be quite happy being exceptional at seeing the best in people, especially my children.