Welcome to Tuesday.
There are days in our lives that are filled with the brightness of the sun. They seem like they could go on forever. Work production is optimized and a sense of accomplishment accompanies our heads as we lay them down for an evening of rest. Other days, however, are filled with clouds and disarray as we attempt to trudge through the quagmire until exhausted from the stress and strain of the day, we find rest. Good days and bad days. Fire and Rain. Sunny days. They are a part of the existence we get to experience in this world.
There are also days that are made fuller and better, regardless of the sunshine or the rain, by certain people we encounter and the influence they have on us. These folks, by their very presence, have the ability to improve our lives by just being...them. Many of these people are personalities we don't even get to connect with consistently, but yet we hear of their life, something they said or did, and we are changed for the better or positively challenged through a time of difficulty.
Today, Tuesday's Musical Notes celebrates such a person.
"Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
I won't make it any other way"
Carrie Taylor was a gifted musical artist, conductor, teacher, and friend. She passed early Monday morning into eternity after a brief illness. Carrie was one of the aforementioned folks who leaves behind a legacy of music instruction and influence that will be felt for generations to come.
Her story is one that will be told by her close friends and family. Should you know them...ask for one of those stories. You can currently see the impact she had on thousands of lives as it is being chronicled on social media. Her impact and influence will be felt for all eternity. (To see some of the testimonials please go to the Prayers for Carrie Taylor page on Facebook) She improved the lives of every person she encountered by motivating them (sometimes with a fiery passion and the rain of heightened instruction as I'm told) to be the absolute best version of themselves.
Carrie demonstrated the life the Bible teaches us to live. Her life exuded her belief in Jesus Christ as her hope of eternity in Heaven with God. How can we know this? You can tell much about a person by watching them...
It has well been said (or if it hasn't it should have been, maybe it's something I heard Carrie say...) that the life one leads is the biggest testimony of where our hearts, soul, and mind are grounded. That basically means that the evidence of one's belief system is how they live. The following is a description of the life Carrie Taylor lived:
How Carrie went about living her life in this manner was easy to see, even from a distance. She had an abounding adoration of her family and LOVE of her students. There was JOY that was evident on her face every time she conducted. PEACE flowed from her quiet demeanor. PATIENCE...she was a high school choral director...enough said. There was a KINDNESS that drew people to her, even if they weren't well acquainted. GOODNESS was showered upon those she could serve. FAITHFULNESS was evident in the 44-year commitment that she and her husband made to be one in the eyes of God. In my personal interaction, there was a GENTLENESS in the way Carrie reacted to folks. While I'm sure there were times of disappointment and frustration, Carrie exhibited incredible SELF CONTROL with the many hats in which she was called upon to wear. These my friend, were the characteristics for which Carrie Taylor was known.
Today our hearts are saddened. Today we grieve with Carrie's family in theirs, and our own loss. Today we celebrate the incredible impression Carrie Taylor made on lives. Today we know by the example of Carrie Taylor's life in whom her faith for eternity was placed. Today we praise God that Carrie Taylor taught music and did it with excellence, but we praise Him even more for what Carrie Taylor taught us about Jesus by the way she lived.
What does your life say to those around you?
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
Because of you, I have always had a friend
and I just can't wait to see you again...
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
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