I was Blind, now I see

It was not the one's that could sing, move to the music, or even acted interested that moved me the most, it was the one that I had counted off in my mind as "he is not here mentally, he does not even know what we are singing about", that was the one I was thought that this music we were making was just a way for the staff to pass the time with him. Let me back up and start at the beginning.

A few months ago, Wendell Foster, an organization that helps folks with disabilities, and I mean the list of things they do for the people that live there, or just come in for services, they do A LOT for people from all over. You can do your research and find out, but that's another story. Wendell Foster reached out saying that before the shutdown of covid, they would have different churches come in each week and do music and a service. You see, many of of the residents there do go to church, they can express their interest in a certain church and Wendell Foster provides transportation for them each week. But many of the residents cannot, or choose not to go to church each week. So the volunteer coordinator and staff see the benefit in bringing church to them, but that takes volunteers like you and I. 

They had put out the word that they were looking for churches, or individuals, to come and play gospel or Christian music, do a church service, or a simple bible study with the residents. They know that the residents spiritual care is just as important as their physical and metal care. And here is the thing, they offer this to them, they do not make anyone attend. It is on their own free will and interest. That is what makes this story even better. 

So they are asking for people to come in and do a "church service" for the residents. My buddy Wayne Morris and I are all about it. But we want to encourage others to do it as well, we don't want to be selfish and do it all, and let others miss out on this blessing. So we try to encourage others to join in and cover a week per month. We have gone in every couple of months and we typically play 3 or 4 songs, usually a mix of traditional gospel and new contemporary Christian music, and then we will do a devotional and a couple more songs at the end. We have figured out that works pretty well. 

So please remember that this is not my first time to do this. I have been blessed to have the privilege to do this on and off for years. Why is it that this time was different? Well, It's hard to say. Sometimes God just opens your eyes at certain times to see miraculous things for the first time, although it is likely always there.

 So we start to do our normal thing, play some traditional gospel music along with some new stuff. Everyone in the room seemed to like it, or at least move or react to the music. In my mind, I think "even if they move around when the music plays, they like the beat or the feel of the song, then we are doing them a service, a favor for being there and we should really feel proud of ourself for doing this great service". Shame on me for making this about me. I love it how God shakes me up, and shows me that he does not need my charity, that his good and perfect will is accomplished with or without me, but he allows me to be a part of it, and when he does, that's when the miracles happen. We all have to get out of his way and just enjoy the ride. 

So we play our normal songs that we have done no less than 200 times, it is like breathing, so easy to play these songs and nor even realize the words we are singing or the impact God is making. You see, we are all created to worship God, it is in our DNA, it is a part of us like breathing, we don't need help, we just sometimes need to be reminded. So when we are teaching, preaching, praising, singing, praying, or simply living a life of thankfulness, it is not that anyone needs someone to lead them as much as they need someone to remind them where we all come from, and how much we all should be thankful for our blessings, even when we think we may be at the bottom with no way out.

Side note: is it an accident that when we think we have reached the bottom, we can always find someone that is lower? If you don't believe me, you may not be looking hard enough. 

So, we start to play our songs, as always, Wayne is focused on praising God and not looking around the room wondering if he is reaching anyone. What do you think I was doing? You guessed it, looking around the room wondering If we were doing any good or were we just helping someone pass the time. Let's be honest, we all want to feel like we are making difference right? Something I am trying to learn is that it is not the results you see that make the difference, it is being obedient to God telling you to move, to do something, to use your gift, your talent, to help or reach someone else. In the end, it's all about us all loving God and loving others, so are we helping others love him and others? Or are we just wanting to feel good about ourselves? I think maybe I was there for the feel good, but ain't it good when God shows you that you can accomplish his will, serve others, help them worship the creator of the world, use you to do all of that, and still even give you that warm fuzzy feeling that we all love to get? There is nothing wrong with feeling good about serving and loving others, we just have to remember that God gives us that gift to give others, it is not from us, and can be taken away at any time. 

We start with I'll Fly Away, a good up tempo song that many people know, and instantly we get a good reaction from most. They are moving to the beat, some singing, or lips moving, and it seamed to be a hit. We move on the sing Amazing Grace and other songs, and still we get a good response, just as we want. We really are trying to do our best to do songs to help them worship, the only problem is that is what my focus is on, while Wayne is over there just worshiping with every word, I'm thinking "how could he be in his own little world singing and playing these songs while I am over here worried about how we are making these people feel?" In my mind, we should be thinking about what they want to hear, what songs will reach them, that they probably don't even know the words or what they mean, but mostly, neither do I to be honest. 

We play our songs and I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing as we did get a good response. Wayne goes into his devotional he had prepared, and the whole time I'm just thinking what songs will we end with to make everyone happy, what can we play now that would really put the cap on this "worship service" and make them leave here happy. When Wayne ended his devotional, that's when God open my eyes.

We played a song, I don't remember what it was, and then all of a sudden, we had our first request. There was a guy there that had not said a word, he had not moved, not tried to sing, no response. As far as I knew, he was there just wasting time, maybe his caretaker was just bringing him in there to kill some time. My focus was on the one's that were moving, singing along, that seamed to be present. But when I heard the words mumbled from his mouth, I had to ask his caretaker what was said. When he told me the song request, I had never even heard of the song. I look over at Wayne and his reply was "I know what song you are talking about, and although I don't know it very well, let me find the lyrics and try it for your". The song was Holy Forever by Chris Tomlin. 

As God got me out of the way, and used Wayne to deliver this song request we had gotten, I stood there amazed that this young man even knew a song, since he had not reacted to anything we had played, or at least I thought. I had been watching the whole room, and reacting to the one's that where reacting to the music we had been playing, and since he was not reacting, I just wrote him off as someone that does not understand. I'm so thankful God proved me wrong. 

As Wayne starts leading the song, I see a resurrection, a new life in front of my eyes, a child of God that was now praising with every word coming out of his mouth. This young man was singing every word of the song. I could not even play my instrument because I was so captured by this moment. All I could physically do was to stand there there and watch. I watched as this young man worshiped God almighty with this song that struck a chord in his soul. God had inspired someone to write this song and record it, and he had heard it somewhere and it had touched his very soul, and he sang it with all of his heart. 

I have sat in many years of worship in church, and I have played my instrument in many worship bands and services, all of them being good as I see people worship God through music. But this time was different, I was not even playing my instrument because I did not know the song, all I could do was watch. The difference was, I was out of the way, I was observing someone that was worshiping with every fiber of there being to the God of the universe. I had always been to busy trying to add to what was not even needed from me, and I missed the true meaning of worship. I had thought that the notes, lyrics, beat, harmony, dynamics, had all moved people by the power of music, but now I saw that that power was of God, it was never the music, it was that our very purpose in living on earth is to worship God almighty. 

So worship is not just music, as a matter of fact, that can be just one small outlet. That young man resonated with the words that he sang. He had found a song that someone he never meet wrote, and the words resonated with him and his creator, and he sang that song more beautiful than anything I have ever heard. I was blind, but now I see.

My Prayer:
Lord God almighty, please help me, help us all, to remember that this gift of music that you have given us, is truly a gift, that it can be given freely and taken away. Help us to remember that these gifts are to be shared with as many people as possible while we have them. They are not our gifts to keep, but to give away every single day, and that the privilege to use these gifts are from you, and for your glory. God help us to all get out of you way, and to get in on the blessing you give freely each day to others through us. For it is not us that bless people with our talents, but you Father that blessed us for being able to share them. Amen.

We may have a gift for our whole life, or for a short time, that is not up to us. What matters is what we do with that gift while we have it, for it is never ours to start with. 

Watch some short video clips from the day, although we did not record the quiet and reserved young man I mentioned in this story.