Day 15 This is not a rehearsal

 I watched The Greatest Showman again this week. One of the few films I can see multiple times and still enjoy. Mostly because of the songs and the stellar performances by numerous cast members.  Its a show about a show. And you would think that. as performers, the actors would save the best versions of themselves for the final take, when the cameras are rolling and the investors are watching.  But no. Please take 6 minutes to watch this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1nPfXfzoaI

This is what wholehearted looks like.  There is so much going on here. Hugh is not supposed to be singing post surgery but he just cant help himself.  He doesn't give it 50%, he is all in.  He is not going through the motions, what happens here is what happens in the final take of the movie. Total commitment.  Not only that, but the cast are cheering him on because they know that he is putting his own recovery in jeopardy in order to enter into the joy of the performance.  The stand-in, understudy guy seems genuinely delighted to step back.  The sense of family in the room and the love between them all is palpable.  This is not a rehearsal.  This is the real thing,

When I watch this clip ( and theres another of KT Tunstall singing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah at an award ceremony) I see worship.  I see unadulterated joy. People busting a gut to give absolutely everything they have got. Love and fellowship which make the combined voices so much more than their individual contributions.  Wholeheartedness. Nobody in that room is aware that theres a film crew. Nobody is trying to remember what comes next. They are lost in the power of the music and it is wonderful.  When was the last time you felt like that in worship?  When did you last sing at the top of your lungs with every fibre of your being?  When did you last cry for joy because you were with people you loved doing the thing you loved when you didn't even know that it was going to be possible?

This life is not a rehearsal.  The way you live each and every day is eternal. You wont get a second chance to do today.  When you go to bed tonight this day will be 'in the can' , 'the final take'.  No chance for a re-run or an edit.  So you might as well go for it.  Sing your heart out. Do your very best work. Be super kind. Show extra care. Be generous. And above all enjoy. Delight in the sunshine and the birds, be thankful for your food and your friendships.  This is the day that the Lord has made and He wont ever make another one. So even if something is telling you you cant - be like Hugh. Defy the odds. From now on go for it.

Wholeheartedly.



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