Hello to all of you who take a moment from your own lives to join me in my world—and my mind. That is almost a courageous act, and I admire you for that.

Today I want to share with you not just where I am and what I am doing, but also a little project I have been working on.

I am in Kotodesh, Albania right now, staying at a church and, ironically, serving and doing ministry here. We all got split into groups—assigned different churches to go help out at for our ministry—and I am helping at the church I am staying at.

Turns out, the ministry is pretty cool! Last weekend, we had only two days to prepare for the big event—church camp. Me and my group of four were scrambling to get things figured out for this camp. We wrote messages, testimonies, and came up with games to play with the kids here.

I was first to go, so on the first day of camp I actually gave the message to this group of teens. It was difficult for me because, with my perfectionist nature, I wanted more time to reflect on the message and improve it—but I didn't get that, and you know what, it still went well.

Me and my team led these teens for three days, giving short sermons, worship songs, even small-group questions that we went over with the kids. After all the worship and sermon stuff is when we worked on building relationships with these guys—just playing games and competing with the other small groups. My team didn't do so well in the games, but everyone had fun being a part of them.

The camp itself kept me busy, with tasks to stay on top of and leaving my social battery dead every day. I have been learning so much more than I could have imagined when I started this trip—and I want to share with you some things I have been working on.

Not only have I been helping serve in the churches here, but class time has been very important for me as well. I have felt the pull to learn how to get better at public speaking and creating messages for people. I want to share my knowledge with the world, but in an inspiring way, and that has come out in the form of writing. I have been writing almost every day, learning how I can become better, what areas I can improve, trying to perfect the task. With that, I wanted to share the little note I wrote today before this blog—I hope you like it.

The purpose of these short stories or “speeches” are a reflection of lessons I have been learning myself. They are valuable lessons in the form of a story, with the goal of using metaphors for visual effect as you read or listen along.

The Song that Changed the World

Playing a single instrument can get you far, but it can’t take you as far as you could go.

Every person on this huge rock in an infinite universe has gifts; some shared, some singular. We all carry strengths and weaknesses, learning how to apply them as we grow. Our strengths are like an instrument we play; each day of repetition and refinement makes us better so we can eventually play for the world. We spend decades getting to know ourselves while learning the world around us, and meaning often rises from that. Beauty rises from pain, power from risk, fear from uncertainty, confidence from conquest. We watch these forces in the world, and conviction to make a change grows. We study the world in the brass reflection, then look inward and ask, “How can I make a change?”

Since the dawn of man, people have drawn beauty from stories and reflection and wondered how to contribute. Some are crushed by the weight of the world; some look away sad, or overwhelmed by the flaws they see. Faced with that reflection, people choose one of two things: to put the instrument back on the shelf, or pick it up and play. We all start rough, but the longer we play, the better we get.

Because each of us plays differently—styles, songs, sounds—we have an obligation to play for the world. No one else plays exactly like you. No one else has your particular mix of strengths and talents. That uniqueness creates responsibility: pick up your instrument and play. If life has inherent purpose, carry that weight. If you believe it doesn’t, it’s still your responsibility to find purpose. Purpose is the reason you do anything, the reason you suffer for things, the destination you strive for, the song you play for. Because your life has a destination, it’s your job to wield that responsibility.

Choosing not to use your gifts ultimately hurts other people. Your song will shift perspectives—often without you realizing it, and that makes it your responsibility to play. If you don’t share your sound, people miss something new, unique, beautiful. Without your contribution, countless others lose a spark of inspiration.

Sharing your song with the world is admirable, especially because it’s hard. You have to get over yourself. But there’s only so much impact you can make alone. There’s only so far you can go singing solo.

Last month I brought a rough melody to two friends. A drummer found the pulse, a bassist gave it spine, and by the second run-through a simple chorus had strangers humming in the hall. Alone it was a sketch, but together it became a song. Only so many people will hear you solo; only so far will you go. That’s why it’s not only your duty to share your song, it’s your duty to join a band.

What I mean is this is: because we strum different strings, press different keys, and kick different drums, we must learn to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Your single song has limited reach, so, learn to play your instrument with a group. A group brings many talents together. A group with the same goal reaches more ears and impacts more lives than any individual could alone. Of course, groups are slower and messier; egos clash, timing drifts, decisions drag, but that friction is rehearsal; it sands sharp edges until harmony emerges.

In a group, you learn to use your sound not for your own gain but for the good of the whole, making the final song more complex and inspiring than you imagined.

For this reason, for this impact, every person has a duty not only to wield their own instrument (identify your strengths and share them) but also to learn to work as a team so the impact can be far greater than any one individual could dream. Do it for the people who need inspiration. Do it for the people who don’t hear music at all. Do it so you don’t just grow yourself, you grow with others and help change others.

Don’t live your life for yourself. Don’t throw away your gifts because only you can wield them. Recognize your gifts, search for your purpose and the tune you make, and start playing. Don’t just play for yourself. Use your gifts in the world to make the changes you’ve been gifted to see through meaning. Learn to work with others and build communities, because when your music moves from inside you to out in the world, you can’t imagine the change it can make. Tune up, find your section, and play for the music, not the solo.