My Blog

Butterflies and Kangaroos

(September 20, 2011)

Butterflies.  That is the name given to the fluttery feeling you get in your stomach whenever you are nervous or excited about what is to take place.  There must have been butterflies and kangaroos jumping around in my stomach as I made ready for my trip to Atlanta. 

It wasn’t the first trip either.  No, the first trip had taken place about a month earlier when a friend and I drove cross country 18 hours to just audition.  Without any other options, we made the trek not even really sure what to expect.  I knew there would be a large number of people – I didn’t anticipate the multitude.  I knew there would be a considerable time of waiting – I didn’t anticipate the seemingly endless marathon.  I knew there would be great singers – I didn’t anticipate the hundreds of angelic voices.  I knew we’d only have a brief time to audition – I didn’t anticipate that the whole opportunity would be like the twinkling of an eye.  Suffice to say, everything that I knew was nowhere close to the reality of the situation.  But, by the grace of God, I was selected.

And now these butterflies and kangaroos were break dancing in my mid-section while I was just trying to get my bags packed to go appear on the Sunday Best show for Season 4.  To be one of twenty chosen from over nine thousand was such an honor and literally the stuff that dreams are made of.  I tried to imagine when I had been so excited about something.  I remember feeling unbridled excitement when I purchased my first car and again when I purchased my first new car.  I’d been pretty elated at high school and college graduations.   Yes, I’d felt butterflies  (and more) when I said “I do” and as I prepared for the birth of my children.   There’d been lots of firsts, but this was truly something different.  

When I finally made it on board the plane and was on my way, I sat with my eyes closed and thought.  This feeling was different because this whole experience was so different.  I didn’t want to let friends and family down.  But more importantly, I didn’t want to let God down.  The scrutiny of millions of viewers sharing their thoughts about what you do is alright.  There would be judges and everybody would have an opinion about whether or not I should be considered Sunday Best.  The butterflies and kangaroos had nothing to do with that…it was about my desire to be God’s Best.  I just wanted to represent him well.