Every time I look at this picture, I pause for a moment. It has been about five years, yet the memory still feels fresh. We took this photo at our small local church in the village, nothing fancy, just dusty ground, sunlight, and a group of young people doing their best with what they had. At the time, we didn’t even realize we were creating memories that would speak to us years later.
This was our band. Our little family. We weren’t perfect, but we were passionate. We wore white not because it was expensive or special, but because it was what we had. We practiced under the sun, sometimes under the rain, with instruments that struggled to stay in tune. Yet our hearts were always in tune with God, with one another, and with the purpose we didn’t fully understand then.
In the middle of all this was Uncle Timothy, our band director. He wasn’t just a leader; he was a mentor, a big brother, someone who saw potential in us long before we saw it in ourselves. He pushed us, encouraged us, and sometimes frustrated us, but all of it was love. He carried the band with strength and patience until the day he handed it over to me.
I remember that day clearly. I felt unprepared. I questioned myself. Can I really do this? But leadership doesn’t always come when you feel ready. Sometimes God hands you responsibility to grow you, not because you already have everything figured out.
Looking at this picture now, I understand something I didn’t understand then: nothing was a waste. Every rehearsal, every correction, every early Sunday morning, they were all preparing me.
And maybe that’s the message in this picture: don’t give up. Life won’t always make sense while you’re in the middle of it. Growth feels confusing. Purpose feels hidden. But one day, you’ll look back and realize God was shaping you the entire time.
Hold on. Your story is still unfolding.