[Faith-talk] inspiring story

[Nikki]

I once read that a coincidence is just when
> God chooses to remain anonymous.......
 It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the
> Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square
> . Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of
> the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the
> masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

> For a musician, it's the most lucrative
> Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be
> substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all
> the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing.
>
> It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing
> keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an
> arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to
> the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition
> of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in
> one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and
> singing along.

> After the tune was over, she approached me. "I
> apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.

> "No," I replied. "We love it when the audience
> joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?"

> To my delight, she accepted my invitation.
> "You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?"

> "Well. ... do you know any hymns?"

> Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was
> dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going
> to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one."

> "Oh, I don't know. There are so many good
> ones. You pick one."

> "Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on
> the Sparrow'?"

> My new friend was silent, her eyes averted.
> Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one."

> She slowly nodded her head, put down her
> purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my
> two-bar setup, she began to sing.
> Why should I be discouraged?

> Why should the shadows come?


> The audience of coffee drinkers was
> transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the
> employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its
> conclusion.
> I sing because I'm happy;

> I sing because I'm free.

> For His eye is on the sparrow

> And I know He watches me.


> When the last note was sung, the applause
> crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at
> Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh,
> y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just
> came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!" But the ovation
> continued.. I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole
> year! That was beautiful!"

> "Well, it's funny that you picked that
> particular hymn," she said.

> "Why is that?"

> "Well . .." she hesitated again, "that was my
> daughter's favorite song."

> "Really!" I exclaimed.

> "Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By
> this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual.. "She was
> 16. She died of a brain tumor last week."

> I said the first thing that found its way
> through my stunned silence. "Are you going to be okay?"

> She smiled through tear-filled eyes and
> squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the
> Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine." She picked
> up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

> Was it just a coincidence that we happened to
> be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night?
> Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that
> particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just
> happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who
> had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

> God has been arranging encounters in human
> history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine
> that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an
> ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep
> trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

> The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU,
> just remember...

> Noah was a drunk
> Abraham was too old
> Isaac was a daydreamer
> Jacob was a liar
> Leah was ugly
> Joseph was abused
> Gideon was afraid
> Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
> Rahab was a prostitute
> Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
> David had an affair and was a murderer
> Elijah was suicidal
> Isaiah preached naked
> Jonah ran from God
> Naomi was a widow
> Job went bankrupt
> John the Baptist ate bugs
> Peter denied Christ
> The Disciples fell asleep while praying
> Martha worried about everything
> The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than
> once
> Zaccheus was too small
> Paul was too religious
> Timothy had an ulcer...AND
> Lazarus was dead!

> God can use you to your full potential.
> Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.