Yesterday I was watching Audience music. It is one of my Direct TV channels. The group that was featured was the band Hanson. In the early nineties they were called the Hanson Brothers. I didn't realize how popular of a band that they were. They have sold 6 million records worldwide, had eight top 40 albums, and six top forty singles. There first big hit was a song called MMBOP.
I thought they were just another boy band. They were so young when they started out. They were so young that they couldn't get gigs because they were too young to play in bars so they played lots of festivals.The ages of the boys around this time frame, (my best guess) was ten, eleven and twelve. They were from Tulsa, OK. and built a following around the Midwest by playing as many shows as they could. They attended the SXSW music festival in Austin and busked on the sidewalk. It was there that they met there manager who was an attorney who believed in them.
I was listening to the interview and they were asked about the big moment. What was the big moment that happened that took them to the next level. We all like to think of these big moments as being earth changing. When I think of a big moment this is how I imagine it. This is a big moment from the Bible.
The shepherds were watching their sheep when Jesus was born. An angel appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior -yes, the Messiah, the Lord-- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-- the armies of heaven --- praising God: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors." Then the angels returned to heaven.
That is a moment. I bet that being a shepherd was not the most exciting job. No cell phones, no tv, no video games, etc. An angel shows up and announces that the Messiah is born and they are invited to go see him. The angel choir is belting out the latest praise song to God. That is incredible. We all want moments like this in our life when we go WOW! That is a story to tell.
The Hanson's big moment and Jesus's big moment don't compare. There big moment happened when they were playing a show in Coffeyville, KS. I don't know about you but I have been to Coffeyville, KS. It is a very ordinary small town. They were playing at a festival and they were the opening band for a karaoke singer singing a Garth Brooks tune. The small crowd loved her but the crowd was less than thrilled with the Hanson's music.
In the crowd that day was the head A&R (Artist and Repertoire) guy for Mercury Records. His name was Steve Greenberg. He had traveled to Coffeyville, KS to hear them play and ended up offering them a record deal. No bright lights from heaven. No angels singing. It was an ordinary day in a small Kansas town but for the Hanson's it was the big moment that they had been waiting on.
Sometimes life is a lot of small moments. Think about it. You meet a girl. You learn her name. You remember the first time you talked to her. You remember what you said when you asked her out and she says, "Yes." (hopefully) We all have a lot of small moments with a few big moments sprinkled in. The big moments are weddings, birth of children, new jobs, promotions, etc. Don't over look the ordinary waiting for the big moment. Enjoy the ordinary. The big moment could be today or tomorrow, or next month. We don't know when but we keep on hoping.