My Christmas Miracle

I had a special spiritual experience in connection with the OCMCO concert on December 3rd. I have had a cough for the past month and had been using Airborne for two weeks which seemed to keep it at bay. But I had a setback last week (Splash Mountain-Disneyland, wet through to the bone for the rest of the night) and was having a difficult time talking and singing. During the final run through the day before the concert I tried some cough suppressants but they were not consistently holding down the tickle in my throat which turned into intense coughing spells, but it was easier to hide behind the bell chorus in the cultural hall and take a quick sip of water to ease the throat. During the dress rehearsal on Wednesday afternoon in the Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall I mostly lip synced to the music. When I tried singing to warm up my voice I started coughing violently and it took a while to get it under control. It's hard to be inconspicuous when you stand front row center in a hall known for its acoustics and have the added bonus of a microphone inches from your head. There's no escape from the 2000 pairs of eyes that will be watching in just a few hours. Sipping water eased the tickle but would not be allowed during the concert. Sucking cough drops was my only solution as the cough syrup was not doing much. My head was throbbing from the pressure and I felt totally spent.

I was totally dependent upon Heavenly Father for a reprieve and support. I asked Eric for a blessing Wednesday morning and in it he promised that I would be able to participate fully. I spent the hour before the concert fluctuating between faith & fear. I believe in a God of Miracles but I didn't know if my learning experience was to sing or to step aside. I didn't want to ruin the experience for others while selfishly moving forward, but I also didn't want to let anyone down including myself. I was physically & emotionally exhausted and sat quietly pondering and seeking solutions. Minutes before the start of the concert fate placed me inches away from the director and I debated my last chance to tell him I was going to sit it out. But in that moment I knew that I would regret not allowing God to bless my life through this experience. Faith & fear can not coincide & I was trying hard to live in faith.

I went on, sucked cough drops throughout, sneaked a water bottle in (which was my just-in-case-can't-use-unless-'choking-to-death'-back up). I sang throughout the evening without a tickle or cough. God heard my pleas and allowed me to participate. I felt His enveloping presence throughout the evening as he buoyed my tired, pensive soul and as he cleared my throat and voice. I was able to talk after the performance and share my experience with my choir friends and family who had been praying for me, today however I have little voice and am coughing again. Nevertheless, last night the windows of Heaven opened to show me Father's love for a desiring daughter who wanted to offer her meager talents in connection with this magnificent event.

Man I feel blessed!

The concert was wonderful. The venue was sold out weeks in advance. Two days before the concert Segerstrom opened up additional seats that were situated above and behind the choir loft which they rarely do and they sold out as well. The music was beautiful, the children's choruses cute and well rehearsed and O Magnum Mysterium was incredible. I'm hoping that I can get a copy of the audio or video recording to relive the beauty of the evening.

Our next concert is on Saturday March 21st. We're doing Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and Overture to Candide along with Rachmaninoff's Piano Concert No. 2, 'riveting' African-American spirituals and Easter selections. The directors are really excited for the new music. Me? I am a clueless neophyte of choral music so it's all a learning experience that I love!