Dave's Deep Thoughts

It is said that
he who sings, prays twice,
but what about the organist?

On occasion,
I am asked to substitute for our church organist.
I enjoy the opportunity
but because I do it so little,
I need extra practice to be prepared.

Last Saturday morning,
I came to the church
to prepare music for the service.

Those who know me,
know that I am often accompanied
by my pet dog.

My dog is prone to seizures.
In order to monitor and record the frequency of the seizures,
I keep him with me much of the time.

As I came to practice,
my dog laid beside the organ
and stretched out for a long nap.
Not an easy task......

Napping while a pipe organ is playing
is similar to catching 40 winks
while a marching band parades through the room,
or while a 747 takes off.

But because he spends so much time with me,
he has become very adept
at napping in unusual situations.

Midway through my practice session,
I needed to leave the room for a moment.
My dog was sound asleep
so I decided to leave him there.

While in the hallway
I met someone from the congregation
and began engaging in some conversation.

As we were talking
we began to hear music coming from the organ.

Though the question was not verbalized,
I could read it in my friend's eyes....

If you are here in the hallway,
then who is playing the organ?

A very good question......

The tones were deep,
coming from the pedals.

I didn't try to answer
the unspoken question....

At first the pedal tones seemed random,
and then came 4 or 5 notes
that sounded very much like the tune

"nobody knows the trouble I've seen"

My friend asked,
Is that a student of yours?

Not really, I said
just a friend,
as I heard some more questionable notes
begin to eminate from the pedals.

He needs some practice, I said,
but what I was thinking was,
He needs some opposable thumbs.

I quickly excused myself
back to the organ chamber.

As I opened the door,
there was my dog....
precipitously balanced on the pedals
like a tight rope walker at the circus..

or more like a soldier
trying to navigate his way through a minefield.

He had quickly learned
that each step taken
produced another monstrous sound.

He was trembling with fear.
It's okay, buddy, I said as I lifted him from
his precarious position as phantom of the church.

I used to get scared at music lessons too!

Sometimes we end up where we don't expect to be....

A career path that takes an unexpected twist,
a change of plans to help someone in distress,
a detour on the way to a destination,
a relationship that ends unexpectedly.

When we find ourselves in an unexpected place,
it can be disorienting, and even frightening,

much like four paws on narrow organ pedals.

and sometimes we feel like singing,
nobody knows the trouble I've seen.

But there is someone who knows
exactly what we are going through.

And much like a master lifting his pet out of trouble,
He is there to lift us to a safer place,
a place where the discordant sounds soon turn into sweet music

Therefore I will give thanks to Thee among the nations, O Lord,
and I will sing praises to Thy name.
He gives great deliverance to His children,
and shows lovingkindness to His annointed."
Psalm 18: 49-50a
.