Heaven Is…
By: Colleen Grimes, OIGC Soprano
This is my experience from the spring concert. There were two moments that really stood out to me from the spring concert performance.
The first was when Terrance sang Trouble Don’t Last Always with the Community Choir. The energy in the room was so high. Everybody was on their feet, dancing, singing and cheering with Terrance in an ecstatic experience that we all shared of the power that we feel when we have faith that we can rise above our challenges. It was so hot and my feet were hurting so bad from my unfortunate shoes, but I could not stop my body from jumping and dancing along with my brothers and sisters.
The second moment was during the last song, Kingdom. Terrance had asked us during rehearsals to try to put some more emotion into our gestures when singing. Doing this really changed the experience for me. I could feel something different in my body as I sang this time. When people in the audience started waving the flags and singing along, I felt a sense of joy and oneness. That was one of the most amazing moments of my life. In the light that shined in the center of the room, there was a flying insect that was circling joyfully in time with all the beautiful people waving the flags. I had this feeling of joy and aliveness well up in me, and I could feel that heaven really was filling the room. There was no longer a separation between the audience and performers. We were all God’s creatures expressing the joy of being alive, the joy of being able to use our voices and our bodies to give our gratitude for this blessed experience of life.
Collen Grimes, OIGC Soprano
During the performance, I locked eyes with someone who was crying. After the performance, a young woman in the bathroom said that my performance really touched her. I am so grateful to be a part of this choir and this community. OIGC is what heaven looks and sounds like.
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