Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Standing in the Gap


Matthew 6:8
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

The people directly involved with our contemporary praise service, "The Way," are all key in making our time of worship run smoothly.  There are four of us in the band:  David on drums; Rob on bass; Danny on guitar and lead vocals, and myself on guitar/percussion and harmony.  Then, there's Dave, our sound tech, who makes sure each service is correctly recorded and the sound levels balanced.  His wife, Angie, runs our slide show which Danny creates each week. This is absolutely essential as the words to the songs are on the screen so the congregation can join in.  Their two sons, Bradford and Preston, are our faithful "roadies" who help us set up/break down our equipment so we can make way for the 11:00 service.

Needless to say, when any one person in this modest entourage is absent, it leaves a gap.  A huge gap!  Everyone has a job to do.  Everyone is essential.

One Sunday recently, David tells Danny that he will be out of town the following weekend.  No drummer!  In light of this, Danny selects songs which he feels we can carry in David's absence, although none of us is looking forward to leading worship without him.

Two days later, Angie lets Danny know that their family won't be available that same Sunday as they are going on vacation.  Yikes!  Panic mode!

Danny contacts Chris, our marvelous music minister, informing him of our plight.  Chris doesn't skip a beat.  He secures Scott, a relatively new member of our church, to man the sound system, and recruits Scott's wife, Ann, to run the slide show.  Whew!  At least that end is covered!  We'll still have to set up/break down by ourselves and deal with no drummer.  But, we are immeasurably grateful for the help.

When we are about ten minutes away from beginning the service, Danny sets up his laptop for the slide show and briefs Ann on how to run it.  He smiles and gives a thumbs-up to Scott who is behind her in the sound booth.

"So glad you can help us out today," Danny tells him.  "The only thing missing today is the drummer."

Scott's face beams.  "I play drums."

Danny is floored.  "You're kidding?  Really?  And, you'd be willing to try this without practice?"

"Sure," Scott assures him.  "If Chris has some extra drumsticks around here, we can go back to the music equipment room and run through the selections."

"I'm game if you are," an elated Danny responds.  "We'll just leave the soundboard on automatic and hope for the best.  Let's go!"

There's no time to lose!  Chris, thankfully, rounds up the drumsticks, and Scott and Danny beat a hasty retreat to the music room where they can hurriedly, and I mean hurriedly, review the songs.  They have less than five minutes!!!

With 30 seconds to go before launching service, I scoot to the room to let them know they are out of time.  And, I say a prayer.

More than one . . .

Wow!  Scott is fantastic!  Sure, we miss some song endings, but without practice, what could anyone expect?  He follows Danny's lead beautifully and keeps the perfect beat during our songs.  And, the congregation?  Loved every minute of it!

Once again, our precious Lord, who knows our needs before we ask, stands in the gap.  Thanks be to God!

~

When has God met your needs before you asked?

Will you pray with me?
We thank you, Father, for knowing our needs before we ask, and for providing us with every good thing.  May we ever seek first Your kingdom, secure in the knowledge that You love us and will shower us with blessings we could never have expected nor imagined.  Amen.

12 comments:

  1. Oh wow! What a cool example of how God provides, Martha. He always does - and I often think of Him smiling when we worry - then coming through with something so unexpected! :)

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    1. I love your image of God smiling when we're worried because He's about to swoop in and save the day. :) He does, indeed, provide!
      Thanks so much for visiting, Corinne!
      Love and blessings!

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  2. Lovely post, as always Martha. Sometimes in life we need a reminder of how blessed we are in various forms and for me your posts are that reminders!

    :)

    Thanks so much!

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    1. Thanks so much for coming by, Me! So glad my posts remind you of our many blessings. That's wonderful to know!
      Love and blessings!

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  3. Great story, Martha. Among other things, it shows the wisdom of asking for help and expanding our circle.

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    1. Thanks so much for coming by, Sweepy Jean! So glad you enjoyed this story. Yes, we should never be afraid to ask for help when we need it.
      Love and blessings!

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  4. So wonderful! The Lord always provides and what a beautiful way to praise His glories - through song! Personally - my favorite way since it's so joyous and beautiful. :)

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    1. Oh, yes, songs are my favorite ways to praise! So glad God gave me a decent singing voice. :)
      Thanks so much for visiting today, Vrndavana!
      Love and blessings!

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  5. Dear Martha,

    I love stories like this and there are a million of them every day if we just pay attention and watch for them.

    Thank you for sharing -- inspiring! XOXOX

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    1. Thanks so much for dropping by, Linda!
      Yes, stories like this do abound when we pay attention and see God moving in all things.
      Love and blessings!

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  6. What great faith Martha! I believe what you wrote here. What is so amazing about you is you never doubted that things will happen the way the Lord wishes them to be.

    I pray with you...how wonderful You are Lord. You know what we need before we ask them. I am truly grateful. Help me to increase my faith every moment of my life.

    Love you Martha. You continue to inspire me with your life testimonies of Christ.

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    1. Isn't this amazing? I know we would have been fine without a drummer, at least for one Sunday, but for God to step in and send Scott to the rescue? And, then he turns out to be incredible? Wow! Absolutely floored me!
      May He continue to increase the faith of both you and me, dear friend!
      Love you, too, Melissa! Thanks for your lovely comments and for always sharing my posts to your feeds. That means so much!

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