It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the
Starbucks shop on51st Street Times
Square . Early November weather in New York City
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 midtownManhattan
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.
No more excuses now!! God can use you to your full potential.
Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.
May God Bless you today and everyday as
you face any storms that come your way!
Starbucks shop on
Square
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
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.
No more excuses now!! God can use you to your full potential.
Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.
May God Bless you today and everyday as
you face any storms that come your way!
This was sent to me by email, original source unknown.
Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for Heavenly home?
When Jesus is my portion
My constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
His eyes is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
I sing because I'm happy
And I sing because I'm free
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He's watching me
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