Piú

I want to be more...
I want to be better.

As I grow further into adulthood, I am increasingly surprised by the necessity for "more" in my life. I am learning day after day that I must resist the tendency to settle for less, to be okay with the "almost right," and as my friend B. puts it "to not accept the 'good enough' because it is never good enough." I need to keep striving for more. More of what, you may be asking? The answer to that is directly linked to my commitment to excellence in my work. If I am to excel in my singing, teaching, training, and giving, then I need to apply more diligence and/or discipline in every task I undertake.

As I contemplate this whole search for 'more' in my life, one musical term that comes to my mind is the Italian word "piú" which simply means more. Yet, when coupled with qualifiers such as allegro (fast) or lento (slow), this tiny three-letter word can become quite demanding:

*More passion
*More vibrancy
*More practice time
*More sleep and rest
*Better planning
*Better trust
*More preparation
*More "letting go" and release
*Better tone quality
*More intensity
*Better diction
*More dramatic truth
*More involvement
*Better networking
*More money
*More polish
*More, better, more, stronger, more, deeper, more...

It is this continual quest for growth that produces in me the best I can offer to the art of music.
It instills in me a respect for my art and a desire to raise the bar so that those who come after me will find it in a better state. The giants who came before me like Bach, Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Wolf, Strauss, Bernstein, Copland, Leontyne Price, Pavarotti, Domingo, have all brought this art form to a higher place from which I can begin my own work. It is my duty to continue boldly in their footsteps.

Yet, all of that is nothing unless I acknowledge the need to grow more intimate with my gracious Lord Jesus. Serving Him through my life requires so much more than music could ever claim. He wills me be generous in spirit, gracious in manner, gentle in speech, truthful in actions, loving in service, joyful in afflictions, earnest in prayer, pure in heart, honest in my condition, obedient to His Word. He offers me undeserved grace, boundless joy, innumerable blessings, the ability to give, the fellowship of others, and so much more. I need to spend more time in His word (reading, memorizing, meditating, praying, and sharing) and be more alert to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

These words from 2 Peter 3:18 say it best,

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

So, yes, my call as a musician is quite challenging; but, I deem it a real privilege as it fosters in me this hunger for God and His word. It also brings me to a place of humility as I see my inadequacies and that the only way for me to achieve more is to dwell in Him so that He can do in me what I can never accomplish on my own.

Today, I live and so I need to grow. Today, I get to strive to become more.... Someday, I will be no more. Someday, I will be forgotten. However, should someone speak at my memorial service, I pray and hope that it will be said of me that I lived a life of perpetual growth in my work and that I drew closer and closer to my true identity in Christ.