The Gift Of A Song

My youngest daughter graduates from high school at the end of the week.
This is our family’s third graduation in a few weeks.
It doesn’t seem possible that she will be going to college in the fall.
Not possible, but indeed true.

When she leaves, I will have the proverbial empty nest.
I don’t know how I feel abut that.
It’s the way it is supposed to be, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
It is the end of something and the beginning of something else.

I don’t quite know what the something else will be, yet.
But I know God will show me.
He always has; He opens doors and closes others.
He leads, guides, and directs.

My daughter had her friends over for a graduation party.
A great group of young people; the future is in good hands.
It was beautiful weather, so everything could be outside.
I love to hear the sounds of laughter and voices sharing stories and memories.

There was also the sound of competitive play.
Volleyball, Frisbee, and ladder golf games were played on the front lawn.
Shoes were off, music was playing; a sort of a last hurrah before commencement.
Commencement is such an odd word for the end of something.

Yet, it is a perfect word.
The end of something, the beginning of something else.
The unknown future just around the corner.
Leaning on the strength that was instilled in them to face whatever they will find there.

Young adults don’t have a lot of money.
Gifts were not expected nor encouraged.
Just being together was enough.
Cards were brought, a bouquet of flowers given, and then one special gift.

We’re broke, and couldn’t buy you anything, they announced as she tried to object.
But we have a special gift for you. We’ve been working on it for a while.
Everyone gathered in the kitchen as the two sat at our long country table.
They sat across from each other on the benches with a blue plastic cup in their hand.

They gave my daughter a song.
They performed the song perfectly from beginning to end using the cups as percussion.
The crowd of guests stood there with their mouths opened.
No one made a sound.

The cups kept the beat in unison.
The cups slid across the table making a swish sound at appropriate moments.
The two didn’t miss a beat or a word or a note.
Many phones were out as people filmed what was taking place.

They performed the song acappella.
They didn’t need anything more than their voices.
It was perfect.
It was as if their heart was placed on the table, vulnerable and laid bare before everyone.

It was the gift of a song.
It was a gift from the heart.
It was a gift that money could not buy.
It was unique; it was perfect.

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

Can you imagine God singing over you?
Can you imagine God delighting in you so much that He must burst into song?
Can you imagine His quiet and stillness washing over you?
Try to imagine.

Many people forget that God delights over His people.
Many people forget that God exudes loving kindness.
Many people forget that His mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:23)
Many people forget.

I thought of David when he wanted to buy the threshing floor or Araunah the Jebusite.
This was the site where the temple would be built.

On that day God went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord that the plague on the people may be stopped.” Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering, and here are the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. O king, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.” But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. David built and altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. (2 Samuel 24:18-25)

I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.
In this case money was paid.
In the case of the gift to my daughter, hearts were given.
Still costly. Still precious.

Giving yourself as a gift is the best gift of all.
It was special to my daughter.
It is what God desires most of all.