NURTURED, LOVED, ACCEPTED

I used to love going to Bluegrass Festivals. I would go on a Thursday, play all night, play all day, sleep for a few hours over the supper hour and then start all over again till late Sunday. Sometimes someone would express interest in going along with me, which was no problem if they completely understood that at any time I could say to them that I needed to use the relief facilities and that they may not see me again for 24 hours. (Just because I could get side tracked at any time going or coming. Being enticed into a circle of music was at every corner.

Now the really funny thing is that to this day I barely know a "bluegrass" tune. I would go to these elaborately arranged musical events and never sit in the crowd to watch the stage performances.

What I loved was the acceptance of master musicians, their encouragement to join them even when we all knew that my abilities didn't even start to register on any scale worth looking at. Every now and then it would be announced that it was "my turn" and I was confident that I could sing and strum any song that came to me, mostly countryish, campfire like "gospel" song. But the real wonder to me was that once I started, my simple song would always be transformed into some masterpiece of harmonic melodious sound.

How?

Because I was surrounded by masters. Those who had been moving in their gift for a long time. Encouraging me, building me up. Letting their expertise blend in with my very elementary beginnings. Allowing their greatness to mix with my humble attempts and the wonder of it all is that there would only be one sound, one great symphony.

This morning as I layed in bed, this memory came back to me and I started to hear the music of a life, one with the Master. Not my abilities, His. A harmony that I get to enjoy just because I'm in the circle.