Consider This: Everyone Sings Better in a Duet

Country music legend Kenny Rogers stated that he always sang better when he sang with someone else. When pressed to explain, he said (paraphrasing), “Say you were to go out and run the 100-meter dash. You would run as fast as you could. However, if they put someone on the track with you, someone who was a little bit faster, you would probably run harder to try and beat them. That is what always happened when I sang with someone else. For example, I would go in and put down my vocal track and think it was good. Then, Dolly Parton would go in and do her part, and it would be so much better than mine that I would go back and re-record my vocals. She would listen to mine and decide that she wanted to re-do hers, and she would get better. Of course, in a live performance, we would play off each other. I can sing alone, but everyone sings better in a duet!”

It is tempting to live independently. It is common to think, “I do not need anyone!” After all, relationships are a hassle. They require compromise and accommodation to the wants and needs of others. Decisions become more difficult when more people are involved.

However, as Kenny pointed out, we can never become who we are supposed to be without the influence of and interaction with others. We need the input and insight that others bring. We need to see things from perspectives other than our own. The hassle of relationships is also their blessing. They force us out of our selfish ways and cause us to grow in ways we would not otherwise.

Friends are not optional. Surface-level acquaintances are not good enough. We must develop deep relationships that can shape, change, and form us.

We are always better together!

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

Comments

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly. https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants. Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do. Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most. In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks. However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like! Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites. That is not true. They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...

Consider This: Press The Button!

Consider This: Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy. I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart. These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult. However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success. He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer. Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act. You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer. If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it. Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...

Consider this

Subscribe

Get new posts by email:

Search This Blog