Music, Bad decisions & Applause

This Tuesday night brought with it a long-awaited event for us. An Evening with Ludovico Einaudi! (If you are unfamiliar with his music, be sure to at least Youtube a song or two!). Strom purchased these tickets back in the middle of the summer and it was hard to believe we were actually on the road to DC for this show. 

As we drove through Georgetown on our way to the Kennedy Center, I had to make a decision. I stared at two pairs of shoes at my feet. Cute black flats? Or cute black heels. For whatever reason, I chose the latter - these events at the Kennedy Center are on the dressier side, so why not be cute, right? Yeah... Bad idea. We ended up parking further away from the Center than anticipated, and half way there, I was choking back tears of pain. The things we do to look nice, right ladies? 

That evening we sat in the theater with the most beautiful classical music filling the air and smiled at each other. Yes, I had five dime-sized blisters literally throbbing away. And yes, I knew I had to walk back to our car. But there we were together, doing something so purely enjoyable that it made it all okay.

At the shows' end when Mr. Einaudi closed his eyes to listen to the thunderous applause that was for him only, I was reminded that there are so many things in life worth working hard for. (No, I don't mean walking in heels... but that could apply too!) If he hadn't dedicated his life to perfecting his music, we wouldn't have been there enjoying a beautiful night. His hard work was evident in each and every note he played.

It is up to us to apply ourselves in our lives. We only get one shot at this thing called life. No one owes us anything. We have been given a gift to simply be alive. It's up to you if you want to work hard for your dreams. Whether that dream is to be the best mom, photographer, teacher, or even pianist you can be. If you want your thunderous applause, it's up to you. You may never have a moment on a stage, but we will all have our turn in front of our Great God. His applause is truly all we need.