| Wednesday, January 09, 2008 |
| Fabniese |
There was this girl, Fabniese, in Haiti that I did not know so well. She was a good friend of Zach’s. She sang with a group of high school musicians. Their band is called Lor du Syel. It means Gold of Heaven in Kreyol. This was an amazing group of young teenagers who had more hope in their future than their parents of even us. We were supposed to be bringing hope to the people of the central plateau, but in the end children like Fabniese bring hope to me everyday. It made me feel like an impostor. Simultaneously my church at home sending me letters lauding my faith and courage to leave my life to live in such a place and hope for these people and I learn from them about my fallen nature; ending up giving and leaving very little.
Fabniese was one of the shy types of girls who so rarely said much of anything and looked at her feet more than anything else. The most you would get from her was a look that made you feel like she was actually looking up at you from her feet. She always spoke softly.
The first time I heard her sing, I was amazed. The power behind her voice is incredible. Untrained? Yes. Skilled? Absolutely. As I began to pick up more Kreyol and understand a bit more, I started to listen to Lor’s lyrics. They were simple, worshipful, and cutting. I was again amazed at the spiritual insight of this small group of teenagers. I watched this band continually give of themselves, body, mind and spirit, to the improvement of their community; traveling long distances for concerts to raise money for this or that cause, putting their sweat into building or improvement projects, offering their music to our work teams, an amazing ministry of prayer.; traveling all over spending days away from family to play and translate the Jesus film.
Many of them were planning and studying for their BAC I exam, a ridiculously difficult exam they take at the culmination of their studies. They must pass it to go to university, which no one can afford anyway, or to teach. These are the only routes out of a life of subsistence farming. But despite these pressures. . . they gave of themselves.
Here is a group of kids who can’t read music leading people to Christ through their music. Their music is beautiful and I soon learned that shy Fabniese wrote most of the songs. Here is a girl who looks up at people from her feet, yet has so much power and conviction inside.
I watch people a lot. There and here. Thinking back on Fabniese, I now watch people who watch their feet and wonder what kind of powerful things they have inside them. Is everyone a Fabniese in their own way? I don’t feel any such power in me. Most of the time I actually feel quite powerless. I don’t watch my feet and could never be described as quiet. I am shy, but don’t come across so. Maybe Fabniese stores up what others let trickle out slowly; letting it all out in one big waterfall gush of sound. Or maybe everyone really does have power. We just can’t see it in ourselves. |
posted by ~KL~ @ 4:57 PM  |
|
|
|
|
| About Me |
|
Name: ~KL~
Home: Ipswich, MA, United States
About Me: 1 Corinthians 1:26 - 2:5 "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eleoquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive owrds, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."
See my complete profile
|
| Previous Post |
|
| Archives |
|
| Shoutbox |
"To know and to serve God, of course, is why we're here, a clear truth, that, like the nose on your face, is near at hand and easily discernible but can make you dizzy if you try to focus on it hard. But a little faith will see you through. What else will do except faith in such a cynical, corrupt time? When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on fences, sleep in trees, and have faith that all this woofing is not the last word. What is the last word, then? Gentleness is everywhere in daily life, a sign that faith rules through ordinary things: through cooking and small talk, through storytelling, making love, fishing, tending animals and sweet corn and flowers, through sports, music and books, raising kids - all the places where the gravy soaks in and grace shines through." -Garrison Keillor |
| Links |
|
|
| Powered by |
 |
|
