Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. - Aristotle
Today, VIP was excellent. They sang well but more than that - they carried themselves with professionalism and grace. They truly fulfilled their role as music ministers. They swallowed their tears, focused on their work, and delivered some beautiful music. But the beauty, in my eyes, came from the way they executed their task... in the million and one details that they handled, without anyone even realizing it -- just as it's supposed to be. That's the habit of excellence coming out.
It's no secret that there are high standards for VIP and meeting those standards is a continual quest. Today, those standards were in full view, from the second the choir entered the church until they filed out. For example, at the end of the service, the family left, followed by members of the congregation. VIP sat in perfect silence as the minutes ticked by and the church slowly emptied. Have you ever seen teenagers sit still and silent for a stretch of time? No one fidgeted. No one whispered. They simply waited. That's excellence.
As happy as I was at the music, I was also proud of the way they conducted themselves. And I think Jodi would have been happy, too. She was a huge supporter of VIP and would bring Adam to concerts when he was young.
I was especially touched that several members of the Class of 2010 journeyed home from college to sing with us. But why should I be surprised? Excellence is a habit, and those guys have been practicing it for many years. They love Adam and VIP, and I think they'd do anything they could to help.
What a gift it was to serve with ALL the amazing young men and women who make up VIP.