happily ever

Beginning, middle, and end. This is the third post in a series, not by accident. Though it would make sense for me to talk here about releasing an album, this end game is something much more.

About a decade ago, I began to realize just how much I was affected by gestures of kindness. A thoughtful remark or a hug suddenly meant so much. I don’t know why, but “small acts of kindness” hadn’t held much power or significance for me until then. Maybe I was feeling more vulnerable, as I prepared to have our first child, then made it through a difficult delivery and recovery, and received blessings in many forms (meals, housecleaning, baby-holding). Maybe I was also feeling the vulnerability of putting myself out there every Sunday leading worship.

So I, too, began to lean into the power of small actions, done meaningfully, to bless others. A word and gesture, simple, genuine, and kind, reminds someone just how loved and appreciated they are. And sharing God’s love is a forever kind of happily ever.

Maybe we don’t think a lot about the end of our stories. This may sound odd since I can’t pinpoint exactly who you are, reading this, but I sometimes think about the end of your story. I think about how much I want to Say Hello to everyone I know when we’re no longer drawing our next breath on earth. How much I want to share with you a hope that doesn’t depend on the results of human kindness, the effectiveness of our activism, or the fleeting power of the next generation. There is hope that doesn’t last just for this life; there is hope that lasts forever.

If you’ve never thought about hope in those terms before, or if you are a hopeful person who knows God’s love, may my music help you find the love and belonging we all long for. Be encouraged to share your blessings with others.