A Living Sacrifice

Daily Gratitude Year 10-Day 302: Today, I am grateful for instructions to be a living sacrifice. 

We had the joy of watching our Morton Marching Band do a  community presentation of their  marching band fall 2022 program. It was absolutely amazing. It was not a product of just this year's band, but a program that has been building into something special for the past 17 years. 

We are a  2A school district in Band. 1A-6A  - so we are second to the smallest. The past 17 years, they have taken 1st place in the 2A division, but it is tough when you go up against much larger schools to compete for the big prize. 

The synergy they have built as a program over the years has grown into something very special. Those who have graduated the program come back to cheer them on. Some  have proceeded to chase music dreams. This  year, the community watched them take Overall Grand Champion 1A-6A at the ISU competition last weekend. 

They performed the show for the community this weekend. It was flawless. The magic of the moment included the pride felt by the whole community. 1600 people watched them perform. Eleven donors gave $1 for every person in the stadium. Small towns have big hearts. 

This was my scripture of the day:

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. -Romans 12:1

 It was perfect. For the Band to take that big prize, every cog in the wheel had to work. Everyone had to be at their best and keeping step. The work, the hours of playing, the sacrifices made on the part of the kids, the directors, volunteers and their families is huge. 

In the beginning, when  you are putting a program together, it is hard to make sense of it all. How the dots move and impact each other can  feel like a mystery, but then it all comes together. 

For the duration of the season, their bodies become living sacrifices. 

In our community of believers, it is good to have reminders that we are all a part of the puzzle. We may not always understand why things move a certain way. Some make bigger sacrifices on the journey than others. Still, every person counts. Every single one matters to our Lord. It is why we are to go out and share  His Word, His Truth and His Light, keeping step with The Spirit. 

It is not always easy, but it is always worth it. 

Today, I am grateful for instructions to be a living sacrifice.