Hope

Tonight I took my daughter to Paul Cardall's "Celebration of Life" concert. It was a wonderful evening, the music was amazing and I am very glad I went. There were many talented musicians that joined Paul on stage. Among them were Steven Sharp Nelson, who of course played cello, and Marshall McDonald who played bass. At one point, though, Marshall McDonald played piano. I was hoping he and Steven would play their arrangement of "If You Could Hie to Kolob" that I love so much, but instead they did something that was quite humorous. The were joined by a bongo player (of all things!) and did a very entertaining version of Pachelbel's Canon.

I was moved, as always, by Paul Cardall's arrangement of "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing." A lot of other great songs were performed in a variety of styles. Some of them I was familiar with, and others were new to me. I was particularly impressed by the final piece, "Gracie's Theme." The ending was so incredibly moving that it immediately brought the audience to its feet. Then Paul returned for an encore and played a solo piano version of "Redeemer," his arrangement of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." Several songs featured pictures and quotes projected on the wall at the back of the stage, and I was particularly moved by a painting I recognized called "Security."

I love live music performances; they can be so inspirational. Seeing others shine their light and share their talents makes me want to be better. Concerts like the one I saw tonight fuel my own creativity and remind me that I, too, have light to share. While I was watching the concert tonight I got an idea for a poem. I thought about it for the rest of the show and during the drive home. I couldn't rest until I had written it down. It is called "Hope":

I stand between worlds,
wanting to surrender
to the ache in my heart
but knowing that to do so
would be selfish.

To choose misery
when happiness
might have been mine
would be to cheat
only myself.

So I will dry my tears of sorrow
and replace them with tears of joy.
I will move past the pain of loss
and feel gratitude
for the blessings that remain.

I walk among shadows,
but no shadow was ever cast
without light.
I will seek
the source of that light.

I will turn my tragedies
into triumphs.
When life brings disappointment,
when despair threatens my peace,
I will still move upward.

I will trust
that God's plan for me
is better than my own,
though at present
it cannot be fully known.

I will not lament
the setting of the sun,
for only with its passage
can I see the beauty
of the moon and stars.

Morning will come again:
the night will be overcome.
The fear that holds me captive
only remains
because I have allowed it to stay.

When I look to the future
and see only darkness,
I will have faith
that light will soon appear.

There is always a reason to hope.