A Greater Vision from Onstage

I don't mean to brag, but I kind of have the coolest job on the face of the planet. I get paid to travel the world with Inspiration Cruises & Tours and take care of famous people as well as your every-day-excited-to-cruise passenger. It's a blast. And this week definitely hits the top of the charts. We're in the Caribbean with some of the leading gospel musicians: The Booth Brothers, Legacy Five, Greater Vision, The Collingsworth Family, Charlotte Ritchie and the Triumphant Quartet to name a few. In between memorable concerts from these talented musicians, our passengers have already had the opportunity to explore century-old cities laid with cobblestone streets, tour though tropical rain forests, snorkel in the warm, clear Caribbean Sea and of course shop till they dropped (or at least until they had a short coffee break and then shopped some more). We've still only made it to St. Thomas and have a few more days and ports still ahead! 

So here I am on the beautiful Holland America ms Eurodam with the Gospel Music Celebration Cruise, working backstage, making sure the concerts run smoothly and seeing that the musicians are taken care of and guests are entertained. Tonight had been running smoothly and as I double-checked sound levels with the band to make sure everything was set, one of the band members kindly asked how I was doing. Weird. But…kind. We struck up a conversation and through the course of it, I commented on how much he must love his job. I told him that I’ve always preferred to work behind the scenes. Just the thought of being in the spotlight (even figuratively) makes me break out in a cold sweat (literally). And yet, there’s something about those extroverted folks that I envy. Their confidence and having-it-all-togetherness appeals to me. But his answer was not what I expected. "Don't get me wrong - it's always fun to see the audience; they're excited because it's a new experience for them. But for us - for me - it's the same performance over and over again. There are times I grow weary and feel like I have nothing left to give." He paused for a moment and said, “But you know what? Even if my life felt perfect right now, if everything felt new and wonderful and exciting, I’d still have nothing of spiritual worth to give. Jesus is the treasure that I want to show all those people out there. He has something to give them, and by His grace, he’s using me as His vessel to pour out his gift of love.” 

I stared at him a little dumbfounded by his profound statement. It was time for him to go on stage, so he took one last sip of tea and stepped his way into the spotlight with his fellow band members. From where I stood, I could see the side of his face, smiling. It was genuine. Though he may have felt empty emotionally, there was still a joy in him. Something he attributed to Jesus. I realized that, just like me (and probably many of the audience as well) he, too, was broken and hurting and...well…didn’t have it all together as I might have thought (although…that was a darn good speech he gave me, and it was just off the cuff.).

The first notes of the piano sounded, the voices blended smoothly together as words of hope and grace sweetly rang out into a thousand ears and hearts. I looked out into the audience and could see some people singing along, enjoying the lovely harmonies and worshipping with the band. This amazing Christian cruise, I thought, must be a little glimpse of Heaven.