Preserving the Legacy of John McCain

1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

I read this this morning and felt kind of stuck. I felt like I used to think this way when I was single. Then I got married and my enthusiasm was put into question depending on what my wife wanted to do. I was being held back. But it also brings me back to my early days in video, when I saw the need to shoot the services at church and by the time I loaded my gear into the truck, my dad noticed what I was doing and tried to discourage me from moving forward with capturing the event. He claimed there was no need. I did it anyway, because I knew he didn't know better.  I had to do what I felt to be right. Then I catch myself at times doing the same thing to my daughter. But now I say, sure we can go to Target and spend your gift card, or sure bring your crutches with us, it'll be fun. I used to worship while I worked, because I was doing it for God. I never want to discourage anyone from serving God. I'm amazed of how emotional I get when I'm serving. When John McCain passed away last Saturday, I was approached by a producer for the 8 pm to do a setup pkg simply because I was available. As I began gathering clips, I prayed that I could give this the heart it needed and deserved. I'm kind of known in the newsroom to get creative and crazy with things like this. As I read the script and began editing this, I felt it needed more. I felt like Daniel Larusso in the Karate Kid trimming the Bonsai tree, or in Star wars when Luke puts his helmet in the Millennium Falcon. I had to trust my gut, my feelings, my heart, God would give me the ideas. I had to edit this until it made me cry. I had only 1 hour to do it. I felt all my years of experience had lead up to this moment, I chose a new song, one no one had heard, i chose his clip when he had been captured in Vietnam for the beginning.  I had it done with in the end of the hour, it was only 38 seconds, but I felt I was preserving his legacy. My work wasn't useless when I was growing up, regardless of the comments that people had, God was molding me and making and still is. The opener played again the next night. I ended up making 3 more that weekend.

Hits me, I'm an artist, wow the insecurity and confidence you get in creating your art, the rejection and the support are insane. Why do I keep remembering the rejection? I need to make it my mission again to encourage people when they do a good job, because their work is not useless.  I need some lunch.