He didn't give up!

Wow!  Did you just see American Idol tonight?  I don't know about you, but I think this is the best crop of contestants EVER!!

I knew we were in trouble when Ryan kept saying, "A shocking elimination" tonight.  Little did I know HOW shocking!  Casey Abrams, one of the best contestants  (in my opinion, at least) this year, was not only in the bottom three with Thia and Stefano (two other somewhat shockers, I think), but received the fewest votes.  Yikes!!

He got his chance at redemption -- to "sing for his life" before the judges, and they had the final say on whether this would be his last night on the show or not.  Casey has been regarded, not only by me, but by many this year, to be a really great singer.  However, last night was not his best night performance-wise.

He sang, or rather started to, and the judges cut him off.  The look on his face was priceless.  He turned white as a ghost.  I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same thing -- I don't remember them ever stopping a performance before and he probably didn't know what to think.  They told him they knew how he was and it was way too early to send him home.  He was safe!

I honestly thought the guy was going to pass out on stage from shock.  He went and hugged the judges, and his parents, and finally sat on the stage.

He responded by saying that it was so early in the competition that he thought he was going for sure -- that they would save their one and only save for the season for later on -- not realizing that he is THAT GOOD that he is worth saving.   (If you didn't catch it, I'm sure it's on youtube, or will be soon.  It's really worth it just to watch him sing for his life.)

I'm glad he's still on there.  There are a couple of other people that knew they should be the ones leaving tonight, so I hope this means people will start voting (not that I do!) for their favorite person so they don't get kicked off.  Or, as someone I know does -- they vote for everyone BUT who they want to go. 

I've been really thinking about this whole process tonight since the show ended.   How much is this like our own life, only instead of Randy, Steven, and JLo, we get our "do-overs" before God?  We get to sing for our lives -- by talking with Him, by reconciling with Him, by going TO reconciliation......and what does he do?  He gives us redemption!!!  He lets us go on!!!  What a wonderful gift He gives us each and every day.

God so wants us to be perfect.  He knows that intrinsically we ARE that good that we are worth saving.  After all, He made us in his image. 

He gives us the chance to renew and refresh and become whole again.  It's us that screws it up again!  Why?  Read above!  Just as Casey thought, we don't think that God means US when he talks about perfection!  We don't think He is talking about giving US redemption.  We can't be that important.

Or can we?