Sometimes the most beautiful gifts we have are the ones we hide away. Paola Troilo didn’t think she was special but her sons knew better.
Paola is an Italian food importer from Laval in Quebec. She spends her days bringing in pasta, olive oil and fresh truffles. For years she was a dedicated mother of four and a busy hockey mom. Through all those years she kept a secret. She liked to sing but she only did it in her room alone. She told the judges during her Canada’s Got Talent audition “I thought I was making noise and I was disturbing.”
She actually called her own singing a disturbance. It is strange how quickly we dismiss the very things that make us beautiful. Most of us would have just kept the bedroom door closed forever.
But her family heard what was coming from behind that door. They didn’t think it was just noise so they secretly signed her up. Paola explained to the judges how she ended up on the stage saying “I didn’t, my son subscribed for me.” She walked out under the lights, nervous and unsure. Then she began to sing. She performed “O Mio Babbino Caro,” which is an incredibly difficult 1918 opera classic by Giacomo Puccini. It is a song about a young woman pleading with her father and Paola delivered it with everything she had.
Her voice was massive and completely filled the room, proving that the mom of four standing before them had a world-class gift. Her performance moved the entire audience in a matter of seconds. When she finished, the judges were completely stunned. One of them told her directly “Well, that is not a noise. That is beautiful. That is wonderful.” They pointed out how emotional she was right there on stage.
A lot of the time, what holds us back in life isn’t our circumstances. It’s the things we’ve decided about ourselves. I’m not good enough. What will people think? Someone else can do it better. These thoughts sit in the back of our minds and keep pulling us back, just like they kept Paola singing behind a closed bedroom door for years.
But what we should be thinking about is how wonderfully God made us. The Bible says it plainly: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14, NKJV). When you feel like stepping back because you think you’re not good enough, remember that not everyone has the gift you have. God chose you and blessed you with it for a purpose.
So never let your thoughts decide what God has already decided about you. Your gift was never meant to stay behind a closed door. Step up in faith and use it. Paola walked onto that stage nervous and unsure, and look what happened when she finally let it out.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16, NKJV)
WATCH: Mom of Four Leaves Judges Speechless with Her Incredible Opera Voice
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