Hi Del, Wow, this is powerful. What marvelous unimaginable abilities our Lord has to keep it all together as He does--for all of us--all the time.
God is truly good. Thanks so much for sharing that with us. Blessings on your day. Sherri On 9/22/07, delma bliss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > The song that silenced the cappuccino machine > by John Thomas Oaks > It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street > and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in > New > York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December > and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for > available space and warmth. > For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm > told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes > right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because > our basket was almost overflowing. > It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup > for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion > instruments. > We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes > thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know > Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from > me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along. > After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along > on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked. > "No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to > sing up front on the next selection?" > To my delight, she accepted my invitation. > "You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?" > "Well. ... do you know any hymns?" > Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on > hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest > singer > a knowing look. "Name one." > "Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one." > "Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?" > My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine > again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one." > She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and > faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing. > Why should I be discouraged? > Why should the shadows come? > The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of > the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing > to listen. The song rose to its conclusion. > I sing because I'm happy; > I sing because I'm free. > For His eye is on the sparrow > And I know He watches me. > When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar > that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the > woman > tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't > come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, > just > like you!" But the ovation continued. I embraced my new friend. "You, my > dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!" > "Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said. > "Why is that?" > "Well . ..." she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song." > "Really!" I exclaimed. > "Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had > subsided and it was business as usual. "She was 16. She died of a brain > tumor > last week." > I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. > "Are you going to be okay?" > She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be > okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and > everything's > gonna be just fine." > She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone. > Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular > coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this > wonderful > lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of > all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was > the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to > believe it. > God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of > time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a > coffee > shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a > great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, > everything's > gonna be okay. > The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember... > Noah was a drunk > Abraham was too old > Isaac was a daydreamer > Jacob was a liar > Leah was ugly > Joseph was abused > Moses had a stuttering problem > Gideon was afraid > Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer > Rahab was a prostitute > Jeremiah and Timothy were too young > David had an affair and was a murderer > Elijah was suicidal > Isaiah preached naked > Jonah ran from God > Naomi was a widow > Job went bankrupt > John the Baptist ate bugs > Peter denied Christ > The Disciples fell asleep while praying > Martha worried about everything > The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once > Zaccheus was too small > Paul was too religious > Timothy had an ulcer...AND > Lazarus was dead! > No more excuses now!! > God can use you to your full potential. > Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger. > God bless > > Delma > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
