Observations of a traveling musician (v. 2)

A few months back a friend and I spent an evening with singer/songwriter Allen Levi.
Now as a disclaimer, that might sound like it was me and him just hanging out – and that’s not entirely true – but in the intimate venue it felt like it was just Allen, me and a few friends.
Allen pointed out that as a singer/songwriter his main job is to notice things. I thought that was a good job summary.
As an editor/columnist/storyteller, I think that’s my main job as well.
I was listening to Allen's music this week and thought I'd share some of the observations I remembered from an evening with Allen Levi.

People are big. Houses are small.
I think we’ve all seen drawings done by younger children.
People are rarely drawn proportional, but nine-times-out-of-ten, they’re all smiling as big as they can.
They may have eight fingers on one hand and two on the other.
They may be as skinny as a blade of grass, with a giant pumpkin for a head.
They may have no clothes or feet, but the people in drawings by children, don’t seem to mind.
They’re a part of a great big happy universe, where judging and laughing at others does not exist.
Allen told the story of a four-year-old friend of his who loved drawing with chalk on the sidewalk.
Her drawings were a wonderful representation of how she viewed the world.
Levi noticed that in all of her drawings, Oliviawould always draw the people big and the houses small.
These giant people that Olivia saw would never be able to fit into their tiny houses, but that wasn’t important to Olivia.
She put the importance upon the people.
And scripture tells us that that's exactly what Christ did as well.
He didn’t care what house you lived in, what position you held, whether you were a leper, a blind man, or a He-man. You were important in His eyes.
I have several friends working in Russia right now with orphans. My sister just returned from working with orphans in China.
As they send back their pictures and as I look at Kara's picture book, I see what's really important to them.
While if I went, I might take tons of pictures of big, fancy, ornate buildings, their pictures are full of smiling, happy children.
Their homes don't matter, the clothes on their back don't matter. They're all "precious in His sight."
People are big. Houses are small.

Southern Living vs. Southerners living
If we were to take two houses, you might find a stark contrast in their make up.
The house at 610 might be the picture of beauty and class.
While the house at 612 might be cluttered with bikes in the yard, mud on the floor and a wet dog chasing kids over the couch.
610 has a ghost of a man, with a wife and two kids who are never seen.
612 is a family of five who love each other and those around them.
610 never has company, they’re too busy with their job, school and soccer games.
612 never minds the interruptions of “happy lightening,” when people stop by unexpected, just to enjoy the company of friends.
It’s never really known if the people at 610 are home or gone.
The house looks the same; no one outdoors, no bright welcoming lights on and no invitations to the neighbors to visit.
You can always tell if the family at 612 is home, there kids are playing in the yard with the neighbors, the barbecue grill is smoking, there is laughter and music in the air, and an unwritten “Welcome” sign always hangs in the yard.
610 was pictured on a post card and a part of Southern Living magazine.
612 is the picture of where real southerners live.
Which house are you?
Are you concerned with the appearance of perfection, or the appearance of a friend?

The moon is round
As we left the gathering that Friday night, we looked up in the sky to see that the moon was about the shape of a football.
Some days, the moon is full and bright in its glory.
Other days, it’s a sliver of silver that fell to the floor from a carpenter’s bench.
And some days it doesn’t matter what shape the moon is, because the clouds are so thick you’ll never be able to see it.
But in all of its seasons, in all of its changes, the moon is round.
The very same moon is round in America, Asia, China, Russia, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.
The moon is round on your day of birth.
The moon is round on the day you find your first love.
The moon is round on the day you get your first kiss.
The moon is round on graduation day.
The moon is round on the day you get your first promotion.
The moon is round on your wedding day.
The moon is round when your first child is born.
And the moon is still round when you discover you have cancer.
The moon is round when you company closes down.
The moon is round when your parents pass away.
The moon is round when your child is hurt in a car accident.
The moon is round when your sister dies suddenly at the age of 24.
The moon is round when your spouse passes away.
And the moon is round when you pass away.
In all of its changes and in all of its appearances, we know – the moon is still round.
“The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of His hands.”
If the moon is faithful to be round, isn’t its Creator the ever more faithful?
There are many more things I learned that Friday night from a storyteller, a songwriter and a singer who took the time to notice -- and chose not to hold it all inside, like the house at 610.
What will you notice this week from the Creator?