ANDREA BOCELLI RESCUED ME AGAIN
"If God had a singing voice, he would sound a lot like
Andrea Bocelli." Celine Dion
It was the late spring of 1999 and
I was crashing into a depression.
I was trying to recover from my
second open-chest lung surgery in as many months, and things were not going
well. After my first operation, I had been able to go home in seven days, so that
was my mental benchmark. But when Round 2 stretched from Day 8 into Day 9, I
began to lose hope.
Thankfully, however, that night two
things happened that helped me hang on.
First, I turned on PBS and
serendipitously encountered a documentary about a blind Italian opera singer
with the most amazing voice and life story I had ever heard - Andrea Bocelli.
The only thing more uplifting than his music was his courage in dealing with a
lifetime of setbacks. Enthralled by his songs and his positive perspective, I
determined that, if he could get through his trials, with the help of his
music, so could I.
That evening I became a life-long
Andrea Bocelli fan. I called from my hospital bed and ordered all his CDs. I
would come to use them in the following weeks to aid in my recovery.
Second, shortly after that PBS
program, I got a call from one of my brothers. He told me my father was
organizing a family fast and prayer circle to plead for my well-being. I knew
then that heaven was looking down on me and that my family on both sides of the
veil would be exercising their faith on my behalf. I was not alone.
I made it through that night with
the help of Andrea's music and my family's prayers. The very next day, the
doctors determined that I had made enough progress to be able to leave the
hospital.
* * * * *
Fast forward to the spring of 2020.
It was the Easter season and I was bummed.
I was quarantined like millions of
other people around the world. Church was closed, so I wouldn't be hearing my
favorite Easter hymns. I wouldn't be meeting and greeting our friends in the
congregation. I wouldn't be listening to sermons retelling the story of that
first Easter morning and the empty tomb. It looked like it might be a
disappointing holiday.
Then two wonderful things happened
that changed the whole tenor of Easter.
First, Andrea Bocelli announced
that he would present a free Easter concert from the empty cathedral in Milan,
Italy. He would call his generous gift "Music for Hope." How did he
know what a sweet blessing that would be for me? This amazing man would be
sharing his extraordinary voice to brighten our day.
Then shortly after I learned of
Andrea's Easter concert, my son decided to orchestrate a Zoom get-together with
us and all six of our children, with several of our grandchildren flitting in
and out. We would able to see each other and laugh and talk and just hang out
together. We would feel their love. Like before, my family was coming through
for me.
Andrea Bocelli and my family would
rescue me once again, 21 years after the first time.
The music from inside the Duomo was
incredible. What a setting! What a voice! And then he stepped outside to the
front of the cathedral to end his concert with one of my favorite hymns.
I must say, Amazing Grace never sounded
so uplifting and gracious. How sweet the sound! In a world filled with empty
cities and empty streets and empty churches, my heart was bursting with
gratitude for a beautiful tenor and for a beautiful family filling the Easter
afternoon with love and hope.
Andrea and my family helped me
remember how deeply grateful I am for an empty tomb that marked Jesus Christ's
victory over death and His eternal gift of everlasting life for me and all
mankind.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Andrea.
Thank you, family, for a sweet and
memorable Easter. You rescued me once again.
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