An Inspirational Evening

Yesterday I had the opportunity to experience a wonderfully inspirational Lenten program. I attended a concert by Tony Melendez. If you have ever seen this man perform then I need say no more, the performance speaks for itself.  But for those of you who are unfamiliar with him let me give some background. Tony is a singer and guitarist who uses his talents to praise God and bring inspiration to others. You’re probably thinking that there are a lot of good Christian musicians out there that do that. And you are right.  So what makes this one so inspirational?

 Tony has no arms. He is one of approximately 10,000 Thalidomide babies; babies born with severe limb defects due to a drug administered to pregnant women for morning sickness. He plays his guitar, beautifully, I might add, with his feet.

I first saw him perform about fifteen years ago when three of my then teenaged children were involved in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). Youth and young adults and children with disabilities are high on his list of ministries. His concert was quite memorable so when I heard that our diocese was sponsoring several concerts at area churches I bought tickets.  For the cost of my ticket, I laughed, I cried, I sang and I praised God.

If you look at Tony’s bio on his website, a sidebar states “Loves God, Loves his Family, Loves Music, Loves Life.” He exhibited all four of these loves in the two hours that he performed today.  The concert opened up with a rendition of Paul Baloche’s Open the Eyes of My Heart.  The words were written on a video screen and everyone was encouraged to not only sing along but to actually feel the meaning of the words, to experience that awakening of God’s love in us. He clearly shares his love of God.

Loves Family. He speaks lovingly of his family and the sacrifice that they made, leaving their home in Nicaragua to seek medical care for him when he was a child; and of his wife and their two adopted children. His brother Jose travels with him and together they formed a partnership called Toe Jam Music. He considers all the people in his company as family as well as the audiences that listen to him sing and play his guitar.

Loves Music. Tony has been blessed with a beautiful voice and the unique ability to play the guitar with his feet.  His face lights up as entertains and inspires people. As you watch him play you realize that this is much more than a man playing a guitar with his feet. This is an artist with a true love for the music he shares.

Loves Life. As he plays he also gives an insight into his life. As a small child he didn’t even realize that he didn’t have arms. At least not until he went to school and the other children pointed it out. As a teenager and a young man he hoped for a girlfriend but most girls were intimidated by his lack of arms. He feels very blessed to have found his wife. He has an enthusiasm and a positive energy about him that   most only dream about. 

Tony Melendez should be an inspiration to us all. We could all be better people if we just followed his example. Love God, it’s all He asks of us.  It’s not much and it’s not that hard to do. Love your Family, for better or worse they are yours, cherish them. Extend yourself to your larger family, mankind. If you give them a chance most of them can be pretty special too. Love Music, whether it’s a hymn or an old rock and roll tune that brings back a memory, music speaks to hearts.  Take the time to listen. Love Life, it is a precious gift that we’ve been given.  Embrace every moment.  Take the time and effort to turn adversity into grace. And, if you’ve been blessed with arms, realize how lucky you are. Use them for good and never forget to hug those you love. Just because you can!

Our God-Given Gifts

Our gifts from God are not unique in and of themselves.  What is unique is the way in which we choose to use them. A few of you responded that you have the gift of love. The responses showed the many ways that this gift is used. Someone mentioned motherly love. This is a special gift that creates a bond between mother and child, usually forever. When shared it’s a double blessing, two gifts in one, giving and receiving. Not only motherly love but the ability to love anyone unconditionally is a gift that we are all given but must work to cultivate.  I saw a sign once that said something like, ‘I’m trying to be the person that my dog thinks that I am.’ Dogs instinctively love unconditionally, maybe there’s a lesson to be learned there.

Another gift that a few people mentioned was healing. One person that mentioned that gift is a nurse; she wrote about being there to help patch up and comfort injured players on her child’s softball team. This is a true example of both healing and love.  It would be much easier to say “This is not my child or my problem. Go tell your mother you got hurt.”  But instead, out come the tissues, the antiseptic, the Band-Aids, all applied with a gentle hand, a smile and a word of encouragement. 

The other prevalent responses were talents, baking, writing, painting, etc. We all have something that we do well but if we’re really passionate about it, we share it. I bought a Halloween cake last week at a bake sale. Someone had put a lot of time and effort into making this cake look like a graveyard, complete with marshmallow ghosts and Vienna wafers with R.I.P.  written on them in frosting. Then handed it over for a bake sale! Why?  Because someone they loved was a Girl Scout who needed to raise money for their troop. My husband is an artist and on numerous occasions has donated one of his creations to be auctioned or raffled for a fundraiser. I touched on why I write in my last blog and other writers have re-iterated that reason.

Sometimes when we think about gifts from God we concentrate on the big charismatic things and forget about the little things that God has given us. Pay attention to your gifts this week and see the value in the small blessings you give and receive; like the ability to change a child’s tear into a smile or the joyous look in someone’s eyes when you appreciate their efforts or maybe someone touched you with their gift. Whatever your gift or talent may be, use it to its fullest capacity this week with passion and joy.  God smiles when we use His gifts!

Let me know you used your gifts this week or what gifts you received that brought you joy.  God bless!  Have a joyous week!