Roaring Like a Lion

I talked last month about getting to know someone new, so what better way to start the new year than for me to do that. I attended the symphony Christmas concert, and to my surprise, Lance Orta was the featured soloist. That was exciting, and I wanted to tell everyone that Lance sang at my church! I felt this was a sign that I had found my next Heartbeat story. I assumed Lance had been singing and performing since he was a child and that it really wasn’t a big deal to get up in front of hundreds and sing your heart out. I soon learned that wasn’t the case at all.

A shy kid with a spectacular voice just seems to be one of those illogical things God always likes to do, sort of like a built-in obstacle to character development that turns us into the person we are meant to be. Lance joined Renee’s high school choir as a freshman and was content to remain in the background until he realized you could get a letterman jacket for singing a solo, and the attention you received from the girls was an unexpected bonus. He decided to try out for a part singing ‘Circle of Life’ from The Lion King, and this quiet kid surprised everyone who heard that audition. 

Lance was able to conquer his fear because he knew singing was what he was meant to do. It led him to DePauw University where he majored in vocal performance and experienced opportunities to travel and sing, including the White House for Christmas carols.

Lance told me music is more than just music, it brings people together, and it is a part of something bigger than just the music itself. Music defines moments, it lifts our spirits, it plays on our emotions, it lives in our memories, and it is hard to imagine life without it. We talked about community and how it feels to be a part of this one, to be a part of something that is bigger than yourself. God gave us all a purpose and finding that purpose despite the obstacles we encounter provides meaning to our lives and develops us into who we are called to be. Lance found his gift, and we get to be part of his journey as he is a part of ours. Who knows, maybe some Sunday we will hear him sing ‘Circle of Life’, I know I would love to experience it.

By Michelle Holland

Conversations About Life

You can’t begin to know and appreciate another person until you sit down together and talk about life and the joys and struggles we all experience. This past year has been full of stories, and each one has shown me how much we are alike and how much we can learn from one another.

I spent one morning at Dr. Bill Graber’s house on Audubon Place, which is a bit humorous since he is an avid birder. When I thought about him and the stories he shared, I realized that all of them seemed to drift back to his beautiful, late wife Laura Lee, his children, and his medical practice. We did talk about birds and his life list of over 700 different species, and he told me when he was in the second grade, the teacher divided the class according to their ability to sing. The best were redbirds, the next were bluebirds, and the kids who couldn't sing, those were the crows. We had a good laugh when he told me he was one of the crows.  

I noticed the love and pride in the tales of his children and my heart was warmed with joy and sadness when we talked of Laura Lee. There was a beautiful painting of her above the sofa where we sat. I also realized that he didn’t talk about his accomplishments as much as he sang the praises of others. We spoke of Renee Kloes and her incredible piano skills and of John Wright and his meal planning talent at Kairos kitchen. Dr. Graber is a faithful Kairos kitchen helper and has cut up more onions than most people do in a lifetime. He started attending FUMC when he was eight years old and told stories of kids trying to count the pipes in the organ when things got boring.

Did you know there are three generations of Graber doctors who have provided continuous medical care for almost 100 years or that in addition to birds he also likes to identify butterflies when he goes to Mexico every year? You learn all sorts of things when you listen and sharing stories connects us and draws us closer together. The Christmas season is an excellent time to share a story with someone you see every Sunday but don't really know anything about. God made all of us different and the more we know about each other, the more love we can share, and sharing love is really what life is about.

By Michelle Holland