Sometimes, YOU get to be the answer

​Not long ago, after the conclusion of Sunday worship at my church, a child approached me. Discreetly, she whispered a request. She wanted to know if she could join a few of her friends, taking ukulele lessons, after church on Sundays.
The challenge was, she didn’t have a uke, and all of our loaner-ukes were already distributed to other new students. 

​When I first began attending my church, I purchased three, soprano (tiny) sized, ukuleles, 
​ ​and began providing free lessons, after service, to any littles or grownups, that wanted to learn to play them. 

Image via David Beale ​of UnSplash

​Uke’s are humble instruments and easy to play. The international uke community is consistently increasing. New friends can be made nearly anywhere, just by packing along their ukes on outings and finding other uke players have done the same.

A quality, beginner’s uke can be easily affordable and later, the musician can upgrade them to whatever level they prefer, making them a worthy investment. 

When the child approached me, I was standing at the altar, near the pulpit and decided it was an excellent opportunity to teach her something important. Even at a whisper, Jesus hears. He even knew she would make it before she spoke it. 

A few elders and our pastor were standing nearby. We gathered and prayed, asking the Lord to please bless the child with a uke. 

He heard us and the answer was on the way in seconds.​

​Literally, just a few moments later, after everyone had stepped away, a member of our church came forward. They quietly asked me about the cost of a ukulele, and what type to purchase.

They wanted to be a blessing and they were God's answer to the prayer we’d just launched.

A few days later, another member contacted me with the same desire and made arrangements to add money toward the purchase. 

They were also the answer to the same prayer.

Another few days passed when a third member approached and yes, expressed the same desire.

They too, were the answer to our prayer. 

The little, and her family, have no idea this is going on, not even as I write about it here. They have endured a difficult and challenging year, and the privilege of helping bring on some SonShine is thrilling! ​

Playing music, for young and old, is amazingly therapeutic. If you’re a musician who’s ever lived through chaos, you’ll know this to be true. 

And so, three of the four of us will embark on a top-secret mission to procure a new uke for our little friend, over the weekend. An extended blessing is that we’ll get to make the purchase from a locally owned and operated business. Another extended blessing is we can refer other churches who’re in need of affordable, quality musical instruments to the same business. ​

Image via DraperFamily of Pixabay

The Lord’s reach is far and uninhibited in the ways He chooses to both meet our needs and bless us just because He loves us. ​

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,” 1ˢͭ Chronicles 16:11-12

Shalom​