Today I took my son to see the new movie Happy Feet. It really hit home. It is about a penguin who was dropped on his head after he was born. While all the other penguins are finding their "heartsong", Mumble seems to have no talent for singing at all. His parents take him to a tutor, but there is just no way this square peg is going to fit into a round hole. His talent is tap dancing, something which the other penguins do not recognize as a talent at all. Mumble is considered "different", "weird" and is finally sent away from his community.
Kellen is different too. Kellen has one of the worst singing voices I've ever heard. It is flat, toneless, monotone. You would have to hear it to believe it. There are times in church when he will sing at the top of his lungs and I find it so embarrassing. I sometimes ask him to sing softly, but there is no quieting him down. He sings with joy. He sings onto the Lord. He sings because he is compelled to. Lately in church he has sometimes even begun singing with his arm stretched up to the sky. He is "full of the Spirit".
Why do I feel that I need to quiet him? Is it to save him embarrassment? Is it to save me embarrassment? Is it because I want him to "fit in" and not be different? Is it because I want this square peg to fit into a nice round hole?
I'll look at the brightside, he could be tap dancing at church...
Today I took my son to see the new movie Happy Feet. It really hit home. It is about a penguin who was dropped on his head after he was born. While all the other penguins are finding their "heartsong", Mumble seems to have no talent for singing at all. His parents take him to a tutor, but there is just no way this square peg is going to fit into a round hole. His talent is tap dancing, something which the other penguins do not recognize as a talent at all. Mumble is considered "different", "weird" and is finally sent away from his community.
Kellen is different too. Kellen has one of the worst singing voices I've ever heard. It is flat, toneless, monotone. You would have to hear it to believe it. There are times in church when he will sing at the top of his lungs and I find it so embarrassing. I sometimes ask him to sing softly, but there is no quieting him down.
He sings with joy. He sings onto the Lord. He sings because he is compelled to. Lately in church he has sometimes even begun singing with his arm stretched up to the sky. He is "full of the Spirit".
Why do I feel that I need to quiet him? Is it to save him embarrassment? Is it to save me embarrassment? Is it because I want him to "fit in" and not be different? Is it because I want this square peg to fit into a nice round hole?
I'll look at the brightside, he could be tap dancing at church...