Mistakes from “Ghosts of Christmas Past”

‘Tis the season for Christmas productions — simple and extravagant. I’ve come to learn that the larger the scale of production; sometimes there’s an equally-sized chance for mistakes.

The night the subs saved a life…

Once, I organized a fairly large community event in eastern Pennsylvania. A team of professional sound engineers from a local company was in charge of the audio for this event. They just happen to serve on the audio team at the church, and I thought they’d be perfect for this event. And they were! However, I overlooked discussing an agreed upon decibel level for the music. These professionals were used to supplying touring audio for the likes of U2 and Usher, so they certainly knew the difference between A-weighted and C-weighted decibels. And they certainly knew how to get good chest-thumping audio from the gear they were “test driving” that night.

The result? The low energy kick could be heard a mile (or maybe two) from the venue. I just thought the whole town needed to hear the good news this band was singing about. Some well meaning church attendees who came to the event expressed their displeasure the next day. You know — those “love notes/emails” you get on Monday? But an unexpected outcome occurred that changed my perspective on the ‘sound level mistake’…

A week later, I met an individual who shared a life-changing story with me. They were on the brink of ending their own life that night when they heard the distant music from our venue. Intrigued, they followed the sound and found themselves at our event! There, they heard about the peace that Jesus offers in life. This message resonated with them so much, and they decided to give life another chance because of Jesus!

What I learned…

This experience taught me that what we perceive as mistakes can sometimes turn out to be “happy little accidents”. These incidents can serve as tools for drawing others closer, even if we don’t understand how at the moment. This is reminiscent of the unexpected joy that Jesus’ arrival brought, which we celebrate during Christmas.

So, embrace the musical and production missteps you encounter this year. Allow these experiences to highlight Jesus in unexpected ways as you allow unexpected divine interventions to work through you and your team.

Here’s to your merry mistakes this Christmas.

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Blessings,

Bryan