Call me out of touch, but I’ve never listened to the music from Les Miserables–just heard snatches of the more familiar parts here and there…until yesterday.

I was home alone after church and I decided to try to listen to a musical production while I did some work on my various projects.  I found the 25th Anniversay concert of Les Mis and began listening to it.  I have listened to a lot of music in my life, and there are certainly pieces from each one that can stand alone, but this one really gripped me.

The singers were just standing in front of microphones in costume to sing, but it was amazing.  The music itself is glorious, but this prayer sung at the death of Jean Valjean, really captured my heart.

Listen to the words,listen to the words, listen to the words…

Alfie Boe has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard.  (to my discredit, I never even knew he existed until I heard him sing in this concert…)

Anyways, it may be a reflection of what’s going on in my life right now–more about that in a minute, but this spoke to my soul and spirit and really ministered to me–yes, that’s what I said:  “It ministered to me.”

We just found out last week that a very dear family member probably has pancreatic cancer.  We’ll know more tomorrow after a biopsy to determine exactly what we’re dealing with, but it has given all of us pause, made us sad and caused us seek to understand all that is happening.

When you’re faced with the possibility of a terminal illness in someone you love, it really brings everything home.  You realize how fragile life is…we have no guarantees–God alone has numbered our days.  And yet, even with this knowledge, we continue to live our lives blissfully unmindful of the opportunities missed, the love unexpresssed, the time wasted…we live as if we were going to live forever on this earth.

And then I heard this song…and I thought, “What a beautiful expression of how a soul that has trusted in God can surrender his life…”

It spoke to me…listen to it–I hope it blesses you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=50ST-DgcfOk[/youtube]GGL1z7JOz2M