An Unexpected Decision
When I leave for the World Race in January, there are going to be a lot of things I will miss out on. I will miss holidays (fortunately, not Christmas!!), birthdays, special occasions, weddings (my cousin is getting married in April – congrats, Joel!), my job, gigs, my church, and so many other things that will make me sad to leave.
There is one thing in particular that makes me cringe to think about – leaving my harp behind. I haven’t been away from my harp for more than a week since I was 13. The thought of leaving it behind for a year is almost unthinkable. Nevertheless, I had accepted that fact because I knew beyond a doubt that this is where God would have me in 2011. But then I got to thinking. . .
. . .and then I got to asking.
And according to AIM, there is the very real possibility that I can take a harp on the race! The key word here is “A.” I do not currently own a harp that would be possible for this kind of travel. My “baby harp” is still too big and bulky. There are harps out there that I could take with me, but the question now is, “how do I get one?” I am saving every penny to cover my costs of being away (yes, the bills will still come even when I don’t live here), I have less of a job than I did before if that makes sense, and I don’t see where any extra money is going to come from to buy a new harp of all things.
So like I said, this is an unexpected decision. I realize that a trip like this requires sacrifice, and I am okay with that. But this is more than that. I believe that God gave me this gift to bless others through music, and what amazing opportunities I could have on the World Race being able to share my music – with children, the elderly, in worship, for the ill. Wow! I get excited just thinking about it! It will make travel much more difficult, though, and I don’t really know the logistics of air travel and harp transport. It couldn’t be checked because of the case. Nor would I want to part with it! It’s not something that could be crammed into the overhead compartment, either. Not to mention that it would add an extra “bag” and the weight that goes with it to my luggage. So I’m not sure where that leaves me.
Anyway, this is a very new possibility. I am going to look into options, try to talk to other harpists who have done this kind of thing, and PRAY about how the Lord would lead on this issue. I would invited you to join with me in this prayer.
Meanwhile, take a look at this video I found the other day.
