We took off this past weekend and headed for Illinois and the chance to play with my brothers three darling daughters. On the way, one of our goals was to stop in Iowa City and visit Bro. Dale. I've known Bro. Dale since probably about age 15. He has always been this quiet, unassuming gentlemen and as a minister he lived with a heart of gold and a faith that radiated. We've kept in contact through the years of changes in my life but in the past about 10 years we have kept better contact and many times traveled to Iowa to visit. One time we went up the road to Herbert Hoovers birthplace, other times hit McDonalds for lunch and spent lots of time visiting. One time I took Baihley out of school, made a pot of soup and headed for a 7 hours of driving and 3 hours of visiting. Lately, Bro. Dale has had a few set-backs, starting with a broken hip and then pneumonia. Our goal was to stop and visit at the Rehab Care Center where he has been staying. We found him excited to see us and after moving him into a wheelchair we went for a tour of the center. Talking was a bit of a challenge due to his cough. What does one do when one visits? One usually talks. I knew we needed to come up with plan B or it would be us wearing him out even more. We sat in the hallway for a bit, then as the activity room cleared out we went down the hall and I sat down at up the piano. There was Tyler, Baihley, Dale and I and a piano. What a great alternative to conversation. I'd play a hymn and Dale would tell us the name of it. There were more than a few times when I had to play through to the chorus before he came up with the title but most of the time he had the words on the tip of his tongue. I noticed a few more voices behind me and then someone called out, "Can you play Whispering Hope?" There were several more people in wheelchairs and the aides were pushing more people in all the time. I played; they clapped and called out more titles. I could play them all except I'm sure I didn't do Maple Leaf Rag justice; but no one seemed to care I heard, "Greensleeves" and after that I played "Oh Danny Boy". By this time we had quite a large crowd gathered. These elderly people weren't shy; they just kept calling out names of hymns. What is it about a hymn that never leaves the heart? Some of these people probably have dementia challenges but when it comes to hymns, they would begin humming, singing and words seemed to come to mind. There is something about how a hymn is written that it's form has the kind of structure that is easy to remember musically and soothing. Bach understood form. Beethoven understood form. Mozart understood form and how to write a melody so that it is etched in the mind. The words of the Wesley's, Philip Bliss and others in the early years of hymnal sharing painted pictures that are written in the heart in a way that they don't go away even though the mind may wander and the memory may fade. I wouldn't have played more than three notes of "The Old Rugged Cross" and I could hear the humming behind me. The first five notes of Amazing Grace had the lips singing and the tears starting. There is something about a Hymn that it never leaves the heart. Years of living, troubles, struggles and disappointments can be forgotten in a phrase that starts out so simple, "Oh, Lord My God." I played for over 40 minutes. More wheelchairs came and parked along the edges. No music, no books, no notes; it was just me at the piano playing from memory, from the gift that God gave me and the favorite hymns and songs that came to the minds of the hearts sitting at the Greenwood Care Center in Iowa City.
Today we stopped on the way back home to say hi once again. I had knit a scarf on the way from Peoria to Iowa City this morning and I took it into the Care Home with me.. As we left, one lady was getting ready to leave for the day and I asked her if she would like a scarf? She smiled and tried to talk to me. M.S. had taken most of her ability to communicate but I understood somewhat. As I wrapped the scarf around her coat, she said haltingly, "I loved the music. I loved to hear you play," She was one of those sitting in the room Friday when I played. A few minutes sitting at a piano bench sharing from the heart, had made us friends. I tucked the scarf around her smiling face and marvelled that as I had knit the scarf on the way from Peoria to Iowa City, I prayed that whoever needed a scarf would be put in my way. She was so much in my way we couldn't walk without moving her wheelchair! That was an easy sign to recognize. Blessing others has to be one of the funnest things we're told to do in our daily walk. This is what Jesus meant by giving a cup of cold water. Just be who God created you to be, wherever you find yourself. It was so simple; a piano, hymns and hearts just waiting to be blessed. And the scarf; well that was just the ribbon on the package. Live each day so that you always have a scarf to wrap around someone's neckor a hymn to leave in their heart.
Today we stopped on the way back home to say hi once again. I had knit a scarf on the way from Peoria to Iowa City this morning and I took it into the Care Home with me.. As we left, one lady was getting ready to leave for the day and I asked her if she would like a scarf? She smiled and tried to talk to me. M.S. had taken most of her ability to communicate but I understood somewhat. As I wrapped the scarf around her coat, she said haltingly, "I loved the music. I loved to hear you play," She was one of those sitting in the room Friday when I played. A few minutes sitting at a piano bench sharing from the heart, had made us friends. I tucked the scarf around her smiling face and marvelled that as I had knit the scarf on the way from Peoria to Iowa City, I prayed that whoever needed a scarf would be put in my way. She was so much in my way we couldn't walk without moving her wheelchair! That was an easy sign to recognize. Blessing others has to be one of the funnest things we're told to do in our daily walk. This is what Jesus meant by giving a cup of cold water. Just be who God created you to be, wherever you find yourself. It was so simple; a piano, hymns and hearts just waiting to be blessed. And the scarf; well that was just the ribbon on the package. Live each day so that you always have a scarf to wrap around someone's neckor a hymn to leave in their heart.
