Chip Off The Old Block

Warning: Long and random!

I love music. I love making music, listening to music, playing music, and worshiping God with my music. As I have shared before, I am learning how to play the guitar so that I can lead worship at church in Guatemala. I want to be able to share Christ with others through music.

Any instrument with strings has always fascinated me. Whether its a guitar, bass, mandolin, violin, and especially the ukulele. I always thought ukuleles were neat. They remind my of places like Hawaii. Not to mention the fact that they are ideal for traveling because they are small.

My guitar teaches is super talented. He can play tons of instruments, so I asked him one day if he would be able to teach me how to play the ukulele. He said, "Only if its baritone."

That weekend, my family was preparing for our move by having a garage sale, and a sweet couple from my church came to help us.(We'll call them Mr. and Mrs. B). I had to leave, because I had soccer, but while I was gone my mom mentioned to them that I was saving my money to buy a ukulele. Mr. B picked up his phone, and called his friend, who happened to have a ukulele.

When I got home from soccer my mom told me about this, and I was ecstatic! The only problem was, there are lots of different kinds of ukuleles, and my guitar teacher said to get a baritone.

The next day at church, Mr. and Mrs. B showed up with not one, but two baritone ukuleles. Mr. B told me that these ukuleles had been to the Ukraine twice, and to Africa once. I smiled at him and said, "Well, now they are going to Guatemala." I was so excited, and I could not wait to show my guitar teacher the next day. As soon I got home, I wrote Mr. and Mrs. B a thank you note, and then ran off to play my new ukulele.

At guitar lessons the next day, my guitar teacher was very surprised to see us with ukuleles already, but he taught us to play a hymn called Happy Day.

The next time I saw Mr. B I played him the song I had learned, and he told me that that was the song that had played when he was baptized. I thought to myself, "How cool is that the first song I learn is the song that played at the person who gave me the ukuleles baptism."

The Mr. B said,"And I just want to thank you, because your family is only the second family to write me a thank you note." That broke my heart. I know that Mr. B does nice things for people all the time. He makes the best homemade jelly, and he gives it away to people at church. He is always the first to volunteer when something needs done. I couldn't believe no one had ever thanked him.

I love mowing the lawn. We live on three acres, so I always get on the riding lawn mower, and turn my music up really loud, and that is when I can think and pray the best, where I'm not distracted. One day as I was mowing and praying I was telling God about how it made me sad that no one thanked Mr. and Mrs. B. About how that wasn't fair, because they do all kind of nice stuff, and yet no one thanked them, they were just taken for granted. And He reminded me of how He also get taken for granted, of how He performs miracles everyday, and yet many people live as if He doesn't exist. And then he told me, now go do something about it.

So,I wanted to say thank you to all of you. Thank you for being the person you are. Thank you for everything you do for others.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to not take anyone for granted. Help me to realize when something does something, whether its holding the door open, or giving a gift. Lord I thank you for everything you have done in my life. Thank for allowing me to wake up today. Thank you for allowing me to serve you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.