Moved By Gospel Music

Tonight, Will and I went to the Walt Disney Concert Hall to see the Blind Boys of Alabama, a Grammy-winning Gospel group made up of -- you guessed it -- blind dudes with incredible voices. When I noticed the Blind Boys were on the Disney Concert Hall holiday schedule, I jumped at the chance to see them. I'd been a fan since college and knew that their rousing gospel stylings plus the fact that they were singing Christmas songs would equal a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season. I figured the concert would be fun and energizing, and it was that and more.

There's really something about gospel music. I don't listen to it enough, but when I do, my entire spirit is lifted. The music fills your heart with a fullness and a happiness that starts the moment it hits your ears. Everyone in the crowd seemed moved by the music -- clapping, swaying, even standing at times.  

During the last song the Blind Boys sang, the lead singer was led around the stage while all of us stood, dancing and clapping to the beat of the music. I looked around the Walt Disney Concert Hall, a place usually filled with quiet, pensive music-lovers, and saw how it had been transformed to a church of sorts. Men in suits, grannies in scarves, and hipsters in flannel shirts alike were caught up in the music and the sheer joy of it all. It didn't matter that some of them weren't clapping perfectly on-beat, or that others swayed awkwardly -- what mattered were all the smiles on their faces and the shouts of delight that they'd frequently emit.

And that's when it hit me -- this is how life should always be. We should always live life like we're listening to gospel music -- with smiles on our faces and throats filled with happy sounds, reveling in the sheer beauty of each moment. I tried not to get choked up as I scanned the crowd and soaked in the beauty of that particular moment (seriously, I am such a crybaby at concerts), but it was an incredible moment and I learned something from it. 

My new challenge for you, dear readers, is to soak up this holiday season like you would a moving gospel hymn. Life life joyfully. Close your eyes if you need to, clap a little if it helps, but let the beauty of your life lift your spirits and fill your heart with joy. Even with this pesky, dying cancer taking a ride in my gut, I know I'm truly blessed. I know you are, too.