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Listen while you read: "Children Of Jerusalem"1 (Lyrics) |
My sister-in-law and I are classical music aficionados. For a number of years, we had season tickets to the Oregon Symphony and greatly enjoyed meeting in downtown Portland for each of the concerts in our season's package. This long-time tradition fed our souls as we enjoyed the beautiful music together and deepened our relationship as sisters-in-law.
Then came COVID-19, with all the worldwide upheaval that ensued. As life began to resume its normal patterns, one of the ticketing options that the Symphony offered was watching the concerts by livestream. I loved being able to enjoy the concerts from the comfort of my own home. No more driving and parking downtown and then walking to the concert hall in the rain or darkness.
Then one day, we were notified without warning that the livestream programming had to be suspended immediately. This was a great disappointment, so I sat down and wrote a heartfelt letter to the president and CEO of the Symphony. I told him how much we had enjoyed the livestream concerts and expressed our hope that the livestream option would resume sometime in the future.
To my amazement, a short time later, I received a lengthy, handwritten reply from the CEO's executive assistant, explaining that livestreaming was very expensive and had originally been funded by a generous grant. The grant had since run out, however, and the Symphony was no longer able to offer the livestream option.
This personal response from the CEO's executive assistant with her sympathetic clarification fully answered my question and laid my disappointment to rest. This answer directly from the top made all the difference.
We all have many disappointments and unanswered questions in life, but we also have the privilege of taking our concerns directly "to the top" — to our loving heavenly Father, Who is also the Creator and King of the universe.
Hebrews 10:19 – And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. (NLT)
We don't always get the answers to life's problems and disappointments that we want. The Symphony made their livestreaming decision based on information that they alone needed to know, although they were courteous in informing me of the reason. Similarly, God is never obligated to reveal His plans to us, though He may occasionally graciously give us a glimpse of the greater picture as it touches our lives. If I could have trusted the Symphony's decision without ever writing my letter, how much more should we be able to trust our loving, kind, wise God to be working for our good! Even when we wonder if He has heard our prayers, we can trust Him and leave our burdens with Him, knowing that He cares for us.
1 Peter 5:7 – Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (NLT)
Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, may we fully trust You with our questions and Your answers — whether or not we ever see or understand the outcome. We know that You have everything in control. Amen.
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Amen, Gail.
Thank you for your devotional today.
Amen, Gail! To God be the glory! Blessings.
Perfect for me in this season of my life. So glad the One at the top loves me and can see my pain. Thanks Gail!
Gail, I love how you take the small events of daily life and write the lessons that can be learned from the example. Great applications always.
Daily in prayer we “Go to the Top”, first with thanksgiving and then with whatever is troubling us – This is a privilege we have as God’s children.
Thanks, Gail. I just had a similar experience with the Manager of my 55+ development. He was very kind, but didn’t solve my problem, either! Thank goodness, God is better place for our burdens.
Thanks, Gail, for another of your very interesting and advisable devotional submissions. Those words in 1 Peter 5:7, are words to be taken seriously and remembered in our daily lives. Blessings for your special writings.
Dear Gail:
Many, many thanks for your wonderful devotional for today! I follow Presbycan from Chile, where I reside now.
I am also, by the grace of God, a fervent classical music lover. Music has been a means of grace, greatly enhancing my Christian life and experience and sometimes connecting me directly “to the top”.
Through the pandemic I discovered many excellent You Tube free channels, offering concerts in superb sound and filming.
Many blessings.
Good morning, Gail,
A friend is treating me to the circus for something fun to do for my birthday. She knows I love magic and could not find a show and the circus is coming to Toronto so she got tickets. Your title made me think of going to the “Big Top”. Of course, that is not what your devotional is about, but I thought it was funny where my mind went.
I think that was very special that you let them know how much you enjoyed the streaming and that the person took the time to hand write you a letter of explanation. I would not have realized that it was very expensive to live stream the production. In Canada, for a while before COVID they live streamed some opera and ballet. It was not to our homes but to theatres which are definitely easier to access, and it was a lot cheaper. I saw my friend’s grandson performing at Carnegie Hall in an opera which was so special.
Your message is a good one and reminding us that God is in control and we need to trust Him. We need to accept that He hears our questions and has our best interests at heart.
Wishing you a blessed day.