Job Well Done

Dieu! qu'il la fait bon regarder

Dieu, qu'il la fait bon regarder

La gracieuse, bonne et belle!

Pour les grans biens qui sont en elle,

Chascun est prest de la louer

Qui se pourroit d'elle lasser?

Tousjours sa beaute renouvelle

Dieu, qu'il la fait bon regarder,

La Gracieuse, bonne et belle!

Par deca ne dela la mer,

Ne scay dame, ne damoiselle

Qui soit en tous biens parfais telle;

C'est un songe d'y penser.

Dieu, qu'il la fait bon regarder!

(Lord, how fair you have made this good and gracious lady! Everyone is eager to praise her. Who could grow tired of her when her beauty is always fresh? I know no one in the wide world to compare with her; it is a dream to imagine so.)

Who would have known that Amanda Hayes can speak french?? Well, I can't. I can SING in French. Most of us have been a part of something that has made us proud. Something that will forever be a part of who we are. I have been singing my entire life. Music brings me so much joy and I cannot imagine my life without it. In Junior High and High School, Music became something that I knew I wanted to do forever. The words in French above are to a song that my High School Choir sang at many competitions. From UIL competitions all the way to Atlanta, GA for a competition. Our choir was amazing and our teacher was known throughout Texas for her directing. I was honored to be learning from her. I can close my eyes and still see her face and see her hands directing us. When we sang this song above for UIL, I will never forget her face. We did a breath taking job. Words cannot describe how beautiful our voices sounded and singing something that was composed by Claude DeBussy was a challenge. His music had to be sung as if your voice were dancing. After the song was finished,the choir was totally still and looked directly at Ms. Douglas for permission to breathe and then it happened. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and smiled like I had never seen. We knew. We knew that we had done an amazing job. She was proud, she was pleased and we recieved a PERFECT score that day. That day impacted my life more than Ms. Douglas will ever know. I still have a recording of that song and I listen to it quite often. It reminds me of a job well done.

So as I strive to be an excellent wife and mother each day, I wonder if I am doing a very good job. This is my job. This is my calling. This is everything God created me to do. Sometimes I have to close my eyes and see Him standing with His eyes closed, smiling. Or even better, I sometimes imagine hearing His actual voice, "Good Job Mandi. Job well done."

To think someday that as His children, those words will actually be heard.


I love you Lord, Jesus. I am so thankful that I have known you since I was five years old. You speak to me in the most incredible ways. Please help me to show my children what it is like to be in love with Jesus. I long to make you proud.