Surprise Packages...

"Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy..." Psalm 33:2-3

The past week I had some "minor" surgery..."minor" only in the sense that it wasn't "major"...not a serious illness or problem...but something that needed to be "fixed", nonetheless.  And yet, anytime we place our bodies under the complete control of others, i.e.; doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, nursing assistants, dieticians, etc...it is a "major" situation requiring the guidance and complete control of the One Who sees all and knows all and is all powerful...God Almighty.  Without Him, my "minor" surgery could have become a "major" problem.  So, I pause to give thanks, and to praise Him for His marvelous acts of kindness on my behalf. 
I can truly say with the Psalmist:

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."  Psalm 34:4

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

So, I am taking some time off from work and my daily duties and am recovering, one day at a time.  I am thankful for this time at home with my husband and two of my sons.  They have blessed me with their constant attention and ready and willing assistance (most of the time :)).  I am being spoiled, and I love it...and I think I deserve it, don't you?  :)    Seriously, I am so thankful to have my family here with me...all except for our #2 son, Matthew and his wife Nicole and our grandson, Noah, who live in Maine...too far to come for now.  But, after the year Matthew has had with his own illness...I am just thankful to know he is there, alive and well and enjoying life again! That is comfort enough for me.

Right now I am being especially blessed by some special "music" from my youngest son,  (#3 ) who recently came back home to live with us after being away and working up north for over a year.  #3 son is a unique individual (aren't we all?)...with varied talents and a gift for being very creative in a way that others may not readily see or understand.  Oftentimes the outside world never sees the inside heart and soul of a person like him, because he keeps it covered with feelings of lack of self-confidence and fear of someone discovering what is really going on under the surface and exposing his more tender side. This has always been a frustration to me as a mother, because I could  see the true talents waiting there to be discovered, but others totally missed it because he didn't meet up to their standards of ability and/or behavior.  When he was in elementary school he struggled to keep up in some areas, and yet excelled in so many others.  Unfortunately, the areas in which he struggled to keep up were the ones deemed more important to the testing authorities in "higher education".  So, that lack of confidence coupled with our frequent moves due to our service in the ministry, created a difficult educational atmosphere for our son, and he eventually dropped out of school.  After wandering around both emotionally and spiritually for a few years, he finally persevered and completed his high school diploma by taking and passing the GED exam the first time around.  I won't say that solved all his problems, but it helped restore some of his self-esteem and confidence and it was a very positive step in the right direction.

Scott, (#3), at age 11 playing the organ at Grandma and
Grandpa's house

So, anyway, to sum this up...recently when my father passed away, our son asked if there was anyway I could get the electric "Wurlitzer" organ at my parents' home.  All of the grandkids and great-grandkids loved playing this organ when visiting at Grandma and Grandpa's house, but our son had a special affinity with this instrument. You see, he spent several years living there with my parents and helping with the caregiving while my mother was failing and then also when my father was left alone after her death.  Although "#3" never had any real music lessons, he has this creative drive to make music within, and claimed that playing the organ was a form of "therapy" for him after a long day at work.  Fortunately for those around, the organ works beautifully when the player uses headphones...and this gives the instrumentalist the freedom to make any kind of music he so desires without bothering anyone else.  I always assumed this was a really good thing when our son was playing, knowing the style of music he seemed to like best.  :)

Scott (#3) today- a surprise package!

However, since our son has come home, and yes, the organ is now a part of the very crowded furnishing of our home,  he has actually taken off the headphones so that we can hear what he is playing, and we have been blessed.  I have been very pleasantly surprised at the beautiful and calming music that he has been playing for me each evening since I came home from the hospital. The melodies are soothing and tranquil, peaceful and comforting.  No, he doesn't read music...he has no idea what he is playing in the technical sense...but in the realm of melody and tone, the music is heavenly.  A gift from God...whether he realizes it or not.  It is one of those unique presents that has true presence...the presence of God's Spirit ministering to my soul. And I give thanks.

Sometimes gifts come in surprise packages....

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continuously be in my mouth."  Psalm 34:1