I'll never forget seeing the smiles breakout on the choir members faces.
The Presbyterian church I attended growing up was a proper church. The services were subdued and full of tradition and liturgy. As a child it could be quite boring. As an adult, I long for the formalities. It has been ages since I moved away and I've attended a service there. I hope it remains the same as I remember.
My mom, my sisters and I always sat upstairs in the balcony. Sometimes when the choir would finish a special piece, my mom would write a big "10" on the back of her church bulletin and hold it up very high and very quietly. You could see smiles slowly break out across the choir loft. More than likely no one else even noticed. But this secret "BRAVO!" brought joy to us and to our choir friends. And maybe the preacher.
My mom called herself a "balcony person". Long before I had heard that term used anywhere else. All of my life I witnessed her make a b-line at the close of services of all kinds to compliment those who performed, spoke or put it all together. She had a sense of urgency about it and we could not leave until she did this. I must admit, I was not always patiently waiting when this happened. She knew how hard they must have worked and it was important to her that they know someone was moved or blessed by their hard work.
I think we all need "balcony people" in our life. Someone to let you know they see you and appreciate your efforts. I'm so thankful for her example and hope I do it just as well. And I want to say thank you to YOU, for being in my balcony too!
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." -1 Thes. 5:11
Hidden in the rafters of my studio is a "guardian angel" that once hung at my mom's. It's a small cherub carved of wood that she had hung on her bedroom door. I like to imagine the angel is her, watching over me as I work and silently giving me a "10" when I finish a painting.
