Make a Joyful Noise

1901. The year our "blessing piano" was made. I had a gentleman out today to tune it and he was able to look up the manufacturing date for me. A century of music.....The piano that has blessed a century of souls now stands in my living room. It stands as a testimony, the Israelites and their red sea have no miracles over me.

We had prayed for a piano for years as a family, I wanted my home to be graced with the sound of worshipful music. I remember about nine years ago our church was giving away a piano and a girlfriend of mine who had an older daughter received it. She felt bad, "Shelly, I wish they had two..." but I wasn't worried. Bethany was still just a babe in arms. Most piano teachers like to have their students begin lessons after they have learned to read fairly well, around age eight.
I had plenty of time.

Time....His perfect time.

It was a year ago in November ( five months before Bethany turned eight). Bob, our neighbor, needed some help in moving his daughters furniture as she was getting new carpet. One of the items they needed to move was a piano, an Upright Grand, it was heavy and hard to move. Bob turned to his daughter and said " Kami, why don't you just get rid of that thing. Nobody plays it." Then turning to Shane asked "Do you want it? I'll give it to you."

I try to imagine the look on Shane's face. After all, we had prayed for a piano forever, yes we wanted it! Yet, it was so sudden and obviously hadn't been discussed before hand, maybe Kami didn't want to give it up?

It was decided that Kami would think about it for a few days and if she didn't want the piano we would take it. Shane came home and told me not to get my hopes up but...... but nothing! I was dancing around the kitchen singing praises to my King! I knew I was once again the spoiled daughter and out of the blue he had supplied the need with out the money. About three weeks later, I was moving furniture and inquiring about lessons for Bethany.

Jerry, the piano tuner, was impressed. It was in remarkable shape. Of course it was, I can see the Lord guiding a workers hands. "Make it tight, build it to last. For a hundred years from now I have a family who will need it."

The mice among the wheat

Our local supermarket has a case lot sale every fall. For a family of our size, it is a real blessing.

I save for it all year and then stock up on canned beans, wheat and sugar, among other things at a discounted price. Last fall the sale arrived at a pretty rough period for our family, we had a disabled client that was being disagreeable and consuming a lot of my time. I was "busy".

One afternoon I hurriedly took my two eldest boys to town and had them help me load our Suburban with food for the coming year. Arriving at home, the phone was ringing, I sighed, it would be another hour long conference on my client's behavior. Turning to the boys I said "Just throw it in the storage room, I'll take care of it later." and I picked up the phone.

The boys were just making their last trek up the stairs as I hung up... " Mom, we stacked everything in order down there but some of the sugar and wheat bags wouldn't fit in the storage bins." I assured them it would be fine and I would pick up more bins the next time we went to town.

"Did you set the mouse traps?"

"Oh, no we forgot." and they turned to go back down.

"It's alright you have done enough ~I'll get them."

That was the last thought I would give it.

September rolled into October and we had to ask that our client be removed from our home. October into November...... Until one day I was baking and needed something from the cellar. Oh, the mess that met my eyes. Chew holes in the corners of the bags of wheat and sugar, droppings laying about and a box full of unset traps sitting on the floor. All my intentions of getting to it some day.... now flashed before my eyes. I had no one to blame but myself.

I instantly began to clean. After the damage was done I magically had time. Everything stopped for the next two hours as I set traps, swept up ruined food and re-bagged that which was still good. I found the time once the danger became real to me.

Two hours provides a long time for self reflection and our Saviour still uses parables to teach us.

I wonder how many times in the lives of my children do I get so "busy" that I neglect to take the time to protect them from the danger? How many small holes have I allowed to be chewed in the fabric of their character because I thought it wasn't that serious? How much more should I be guarding their souls ~ even more so than their substance.

Lord, help me remember that Satan is always vigilant. His only "business" is our destruction. May I never be distracted from my true purpose. Lord, keep me form busyness.