If you would indulge me, I’d like to take a quick break from my The Company We Keep blog and share with you my recent trip to one of God’s favorite cities…Nashville, TN. I love Nashville, but I don’t get there as often as I’d like. There is so much to do. And in my humble opinion, they offer up the best beer, barbeque, and entertainment compared to anywhere I’ve ever visited. On Broadway, its main downtown strip, it is amazing to me that the live music in each and every bar, saloon, and honkytonk is flawless. Every time I step foot in one of these establishments, I wonder to myself how this band or this singer hasn’t been signed to a record deal yet. The talent is off the charts incredible.

I often try to make small talk with these performers during their brief intermissions. I always let them know that I’m from the same hometown as country music legend Pasty Cline. I feel like this gives me some kind of street cred with them. When I returned home from this latest venture, I was sharing my experiences with a friend. After I was done boasting about Nashville, my friend said something that caught me completely off guard. “Isn’t it sad to see all those talented singers that will never amount to anything?” he asked.

I told him that I couldn’t disagree more. What he saw as a futile and desperate situation, I saw as one of hope. These folks are out there every day and night entertaining the masses. They have faith in their abilities. Most of them hope to be discovered. And they love what they do. 1 Corinthians 13:13 covers all three of these aspects when it shares, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” And that is where I see the beauty in what these artists do on a consistent basis. They continue to hone their craft and get better every time they take the stage. Most aspire to catch a break one day. But what I enjoy most is simply watching how much they love what they do.

There is just something gratifying and joyful about watching someone do what they truly love. Witnessing someone pursue their passion. Seeing someone share their gift with the world. This is one of the reasons I love visiting Nashville (besides the wings at Johnny Cash’s bar). I always leave with a new-found sense of hope. Every musician becomes an inspiration to follow our star. We may never catch it, but we will influence others along the way. Matthew 5:15 reminds us, “And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”

I hope everyone reading this blog is actively chasing their dream. Remember, what we are doing may not ultimately get us to where we plan to be, but it’s not always about us. We never know what lives we are touching along the way. Actions always speak louder than words and people are never more encouraged than when they see someone loving what they do and doing it well.