Hi Sugar, what a wonderful message. I agree. Thankyou for sending this. Original message:
> 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! > I didn't know some of this! No more excuses now!! > God can use us to our full potential. Besides we aren't the message, > we are just the messenger. > 'Let your LIGHT so SHINE...' Matt 5:16 > 'For a musician or singer this is what it is all about. Oh 'God be in > all that we do.' > Sugar Says: > People are like stained glass windows: They sparkle and shine when the > sun is out, > But when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if > there is a light shining from within. > -- Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network. Visit www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
