I watched Charlie Smith describe the Tabernacle Choir singing “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” As he spoke, his voice trembled with emotion, and I felt the same flood of feeling wash over me. There’s something about music—it’s a language that speaks to the deepest parts of our soul, a melody that can lift you when words can’t. As I listened to that familiar hymn, I felt the weight of my own weakness, my own flaws. And yet, with each swell of the choir and orchestra, I was reminded of the strength that comes not from perfection, but from grace.
The lyrics—”prone to wander, Lord, I feel it”—hit hard. I know that wandering well, that feeling of straying, of not being enough. But then, the song lifts, and so do I. “Here I raise my Ebenezer,” the line goes, and I understand that my journey, with all its stumbles and wrong turns, is still marked by moments of grace, by those who have stood beside me when I couldn’t stand alone.
I think back to the times when I’ve been lost, when I’ve felt like the world was too heavy, and someone—sometimes a friend, sometimes a stranger—would step in, offering a kindness so small yet so profound. It’s in those moments, in the quiet generosity of others, that I’ve found hope. Maybe it was a word, maybe it was a song, maybe it was just someone seeing me when I thought I was invisible. And every time, I was reminded that I wasn’t alone.
I’ve realized that it’s through my own weakness that I’ve found my purpose. My imperfections, my struggles—they’re not burdens to hide, but gifts to share. Because when I admit I’m not enough on my own, I make space for others to step in, to lift me, and in return, I lift them. And isn’t that what life is? A constant lifting, a constant passing of light from one person to another.
You might feel small sometimes, or lost, or like you have nothing to offer. But I promise you, someone out there is waiting for the light only you can give. Keep shining, no matter how dim you think it is, because to someone, that light is everything. Together, we can create a glow that changes the world.
I believe that nothing is an accident—that every moment of weakness, every act of grace, is part of a bigger plan. We’re here to help each other, to be lights in the darkness. I want to live my life as a light, not a judge. To give, because I’ve been given so much. And maybe that’s the whole point—to keep giving, to keep loving, because in the end, that’s all that really matters.
