Three almost finished blogs linger in my legal pad. Each falls short of originating from a “talk time” with God. Thus, each lacks what I sense as a “call to post” message. As I’ve declared before, this blog is not about me or anything I have to say. On the contrary, its purpose and substance is sharing the “God incidence” messages which cross my life’s journey. I do so with the repeated disclaimer: I am not chosen above any of us, possess any ability beyond the least of us, and definitely am as human and sinful as every one of us. I, simply stated, am just a child of God who sees and hears what I call “God’s sign language”. My choice is to be tone deaf to much of the world’s sighs, and tune in to what I hear as God’s cries. This morning, amidst the mist of sprinkling rain drops, “God’s sign language” once more spoke to me.
My course was, as usual, walking the lake path outside my door. Yes, my ear buds were echoing the praise and power of God, His faith, His Hope and His Love. In the distance, a bicycle was headed my direction. I knew the rider, my neighbor Bill, would hit the brakes to comment on the CD I had given back to Joyce, his wife, last night. I also instinctively sensed that maybe not a simple “Good morning, how’s your day?” conversation was heading my way.
A few days ago, Bill had, also, crossed my lake path and handed me a CD of his past church choir performing “One Set of Footprints”. Excitement immediately energized my walk as treasured memories filled my heart. I knew this music well, and a rush of inspiration swells within me whenever I re-live its choruses. “One Set of Footprints” is the story of God carrying us when we are too fearful, weary or worldly defeated to even crawl forward.
I couldn’t wait to transfer the CD to my phone playlists; but as technologically impaired as I am, I knew I had to wait till my, states away, daughter could, over the phone, guide her incompetent mother through the process. Yesterday, Britt played preschool teacher to her mom. My daughter’s clear and basic instructions were understood much easier than I had anticipated. Hanging up, I actually felt semi confident for the task at hand. Having loaded the CD into the external hard drive, I awaited the prompt asking if I wanted to import the disc. It never appeared. My confidence was waning. I started over. Again, no recognition of a CD in place to be imported. Had I somehow ruined the CD? I grabbed one of my own CDs and placed it in the external hard drive. As Britt had indicated, my computer responded with the “do you want to import” prompt.
With trepidation, I decided to try playing the disc in an old portable CD player. Took me a while to even find my out of date listening device. However, the minute my mitts were on it, I placed “One Set of Footprints” into it. I waited with bated breath. Nothing, not even one note, sang forth. The CD was empty – completely blank. How could this be? Even worse, was my stupidity to blame?
Last night, as Joyce and I finished our social distancing walk, I handed her back Bill’s CD and told her it was blank. I had no explanation or understanding of what caused this, but it was most certainly as silent as a bell without a clapper. Having given Joyce the blank CD 13 hours ago, I knew Bill was not only heading my way, but also, stopping!!! In his “always put others’ needs first and foremost” manner, I was expecting him to tell me that it was perfectly fine I had somehow totally managed to wipe out the saved memory of his choir performing the awe inspiring “One Set of Footprints”. That was not at all what happened.
Bill did stop, and that was all that I had correctly surmised. With a quizzical expression on his face, he inquired into what device I had put the disc. To which I explained both the external drive plugged into my computer and a totally separate old portable CD player. I continued that nope, nada, nothing was heard. The CD was blank. How that happened, I hadn’t a clue. Calm, compassionate Bill looked me straight in the eye and spoke, “Bonnie, there’s nothing wrong with the CD. I listened to it this morning”.
Knowing me, Bill wasn’t surprised by my automatic response that God must, once more, be speaking to me in “sign language”. At that moment, I admitted I was taken aback and clueless; but I knew by the end of my walk I’d understand God’s exact message. Smiling, Bill rode off. Before he’d gotten ten feet away, I understood “God’s sign language”. As my neighbor had started pedaling, I placed my sound buds back into my ears. A chorus of inspiration sang loud and clear. Bingo!!! In my usual manner when I hear God’s message, I tilted my head up to the heavens, and with a smiling face and head shaking, I uttered, “Got it, Lord!!!”
My playlists of inspirational music are, so to speak, the petro in this CARR. No matter what challenges await me, my music uplifts me. I’ve even been known to tailor a playlist for specific challenges.
Music makes me 100% know God’s presence and power. However, in 100% knowledge, trust can become inconsequential or forgotten. For me to be reminded how my (and your) life needs to be seeded and rooted in trust, not knowledge, God, literally, silenced the music.
Life is a chronicle of times when evil surrounds us – like COVID19. God will carry us, each and every one of us, through all evil. God calls us to trust, not knowledge, for Him to do this.
For me, listening to inspirational music celebrates my knowledge of God. Times of silence percolate my trust in God. Indeed, the silence of a CD album, permeated in trust, was not a co-incidence but a God incidence. It was a Godsend reminder of the trust we all need to survive the evils of our world.
So, after a couple weeks of blog silence, I deliver this message. Trust is what we need to rely on when we don’t know what is, or will, happen. Trust is not heard fact but silent conviction. With ear buds in and inspirational music filling our souls, God’s uplifting power is so easy to know and believe. However, when isolated in silence, only trust assures us that God is carrying us. Bottom line and God’s current wake up call for me: My God, whom I know, uplifts me. My God, whom I trust, carries me. Praying you proclaim the same.
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 