Wondering, Wandering, and Writing

Blessings flowed all around me yesterday!

I can’t even figure out where to start.  At the beginning is usually a good place, but the beginning was weeks before, and I want to wrap this up in a few hundred words.

Honestly, the morning got off to a rocky start.  Any morning is prone to a little chaos with two very active preteen boys, and it happened.  Excitement and a little nervousness filled the air in our home and several others.  Weeks of preparation by a number of people had gone into the morning worship service.  A generous member donated a grand piano to the church, and this is its first worship service, with lots of music and several guest pianists.

I also dreaded the afternoon, whose activities needed to start just as soon as we left church.  I’ll write about that in another post.  For now – I was so stressed about five minutes before I was to leave for church that I messaged one of my prayer groups.  Yes, I have a few.  Yes, I love and appreciate each and every lady in them.  I poured out my concern for the afternoon, and my little bit of nervousness about the service. Yes, I play every Sunday.  But, some of these guests’ playing makes it sound like I need to go back to level one piano lessons.  (Okay, maybe it’s not quite that dramatic, but don’t we all play the comparison game at times, and give ourselves the short end?)  They messaged me back. They prayed.  I knew they would!

And then ……

Oh, what a wonderful morning!!

During Sunday School, our fill-in teacher led a thought-provoking lesson from Romans 12.  One of the questions opened the door for a class member to share her experience just in the past week.  God is calling her to a ministry in our neighborhood, and the pieces are falling into place.  Multiple people offered to help, resources are available, and others are encouraging.  I just love it when it’s obviously a God thing! 

Our church choir sang.  Because of a very unusual series of events, we hadn’t in about a month.  It was good to have the choir back.  The music kept going for almost an hour – praise team, piano solos, the Song Birds (a trio of young ladies), a duet, solos – it was great!  The service flowed well, thanks to the preparation of leaders and the expertise of our audio/visual team.  (I don’t even know what to call them these days.  I thought a mixing board was pretty cool, but they manage that and a camera and computers and ….. I’m thankful we have people with skills to manage all that!).  

God blessed me with calm to enjoy it all, in spite of my little one moving around our quarter of the building.  I’d pray he didn’t distract others so much they couldn’t enjoy the service.  I quieted him when he wanted to talk and corralled him a couple times.

I thought of the family connections of people playing and singing, and how proud they were.  Friends sat together to help each other; friends are such a blessing (one pianist is almost blind).

I left the service feeling so very blessed and full of joy.  To be surrounded by musicians who practice to hone their skills and then give it all to God is so very uplifting!

So, the service ran a little long.  We were a little late getting started on our afternoon activity, but I didn’t even care.  I texted my husband, “We’ll get there whenever we get there.”

Stay tuned for part 2 – the afternoon showers of blessings.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;^a
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100 ESV

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