Beauty in Expression

I remember that day like it was yesterday…

Dressing in my “Sunday Best,” I headed to see my first touring musical with my family. I was eight years old at the time.

I thought for sure this performance would be just like I imagined: wonderful energy, magnificent music and complete enjoyment…

…and it was.

But what I didn’t expect was finding just as much enjoyment watching the American Sign Language interpreter as the actors and actresses in the actual musical.

She took such pride in her signing. She commanded the corner of the room where she stood. With every gesture, you could see, not only enjoyment and enthusiasm, but also passion and happiness. She exaggerated her facial expressions to such an extent that it became a struggle just to try to stop watching her. It was as if she were one of the actresses who was determined to put on a brilliant show for her audience…

…and I wanted to be part of it.

Fast-forward about 13 years, one month, and 21 days later to today.

I was standing as a teaching assistant for American Sign Language 3, signing with a friend when I thought about the way in which American Sign Language has allowed me to express myself: when words fail, ASL works miracles.

I found myself signing worship songs the other day because my emotions overtook me and my hands expressed what my heart was speaking. Yes, it sounds crazy or even a little ridiculous, but American Sign Language has become a means of expression that, as cliché as it sounds, allows me to praise the Lord in a way I never imaged.

Who would have thought that in the span of 13 years, the Lord could work in unimaginable ways. 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, 

who have been called according to His purpose."

Romans 8:28 (NIV) 

There’s beauty in praising the Lord.

There’s beauty in American Sign Language.

There’s beauty in expression.

Beauty in the Sunrise

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And yet, I can’t think of a single word that could possibly describe the emotion that welled inside me when this sunrise was before me. Every word that came to mind seemed…lacking.

You see, I’m a night owl; I rarely ever see the dawn. There are pros and cons to this, a pro (beyond the obvious) being a greater appreciation for the sunrise.

On the rare occasion I wake early enough to see the start of a new day, I can’t help but recite the song my mother sang to me every morning growing up:

“This is the day; this is the day that The Lord has made!

I will rejoice; I will rejoice and be glad in it!”

Don’t you see?? It’s a new day, a fresh start. No matter how yesterday or the past week or even the past five years have treated you, today is the day to start fresh, to get right with the Lord!

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!”

There is beauty in the promise of a new day; beauty in its greeting: beauty in the sunrise.  

Beauty in Song

This has been my view for the past three hours:

It’s rare for me to remember a time when I stared at a piece of music so full of quick, hardly-playable, super-high thirty-second notes. And let me be frank: there has been absolutely no beauty in a piece of this caliber…

…until today.

This paper full of random notes and octave runs may seem a jumbled mess at first glance. But after this music is carefully diagnosed and practiced, it starts to take form. The brass voices in the room pass the deep and eerie-sounding bass line around the room as the high woodwinds play these ridiculous runs underneath. What takes form is a dark and mysterious ambiance with what can be imagined as a “run-for-your-life” undertone. It’s truly remarkable.

But let’s be honest, you’d have to hear it to understand, not to mention that half of the people reading this have no musical reading background and haven’t the slightest idea what I’m trying to convey. Let’s get to the point, shall we?

To say that I hated this music at first is an understatement. Then just this past week I ran across Psalm 105:2:

"Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts."

And then I thought about it: what if I went in to band today with the thought that, granted, I don’t really deserve this spot in this band considering I can’t even read this crazy music, but the Lord showed me grace and gave me the spot anyway. What if I played the music in thanks to Him? What if I played simply for Him, regardless of how much was actually played correctly?

So I did.

And the result was beautiful. I was no longer reading music; I was playing what became a song. There's beauty in song. 

Beauty in Friendship

I live in The Enchanted Castle. My roommates and I have designed each of our individual rooms to remind us of our homes, a place of comfort and sanctuary. I live in the library. Although it may not sound like an ideal living situation, the gift of the library meant the world to me and quickly became my place of retreat and relief. The people of that poor provincial town never understood me, anyway. My roommates on the other hand understand me all too well:

Poor Cinderella was only ever seen as a housemaid in her hometown. When she fell in love with Prince Charming at the ball and started her happily ever after with him only a few short days later, she was quick to remark that her room in the Enchanted Castle would resemble that of her beloved ballroom.

And Ariel and Rapunzel may go home to a castle, but their upbringing under the sea or in the tower, respectively, was where they grew up, all they ever knew of a home until only a short while ago. So naturally, The Enchanted Castle would also come complete with a room designed for life under the sea as well as a room up near the cloud line in the tower.

Adorning the walls of our quaint little castle are uplifting bible verses and scriptures. What else could make The Enchanted Castle more complete than words of the Lord? Each one of us has learned that the Lord is, quite frankly, the only thing that can truly complete anything, or anyone, for that matter.

That is what I call home.

…But let’s be real. If you asked any of my other friends about my home, they would all say the same generic thing: a simple apartment in a small college town; not fancy or elegant or even grand by any means, but it gets the job done. 

They would comment that my name is Sarah, not Belle, and that I live with three other friends who have names that don’t resemble those found plastered around Walt Disney World. I lead a generic college student life, with the same worries and dreams as any other undergrad.

But they simply don’t understand.

We don’t call our apartment The Enchanted Castle because we are naïve little girls who believe in love at first sight and happily ever after. We call our apartment The Enchanted Castle because we are four 21-year-olds who simply like Disney.

We believe in the outcome of hard work and the simple but truthful knowledge that love isn’t easy.

But most importantly, we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which gives each of us eternal life.

Our faith in the Lord has become the foundation of our friendship. Our shared morals and values are built upon that foundation and our simple love for the same movies, extracurricular activites, and worldly subjects become the cherry on top. Our friendship is deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, creating a bond that is not easily broken.

There is beauty in friendship. We are not made to be alone. We were created with the need for companionship. The Lord delights in friendships:

            "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." 
                                                                                                  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)