Through Song

Last night, our folk group leader called in sick. Whenever I pinch-hit, it always seems to be at the last minute. Not having him there means I have to scramble to get things ready, since I have to set up the PA system, pick the songs, find the overheads. Usually I compensate by picking songs which I know we have overheads for and which I know we don't need much rehearsal on. However, I've also dreamed of getting a chance to showcase some moving hymns our leader does not frequently want to do. So last night I said to myself, to heck with it, I'm going to do what my instincts are telling me to do, and I don't care if we don't have overheads, and I don't care if it is hard to learn.

I learned from one of our members, however, that my watch was running ten minutes slow. I wondered why so many people were sitting in the pews! Mass was about to start. With only five minutes of rehearsal time, I rushed downstairs and took everyone through the songs. We got back upstairs late. I waited dumbly for the greeter, until I realized that might have already happened. We opened with a rousing version of Open the Eyes of My Heart. Later, we would do "Be Exalted", "Be Not Afraid" and "Halleluia I'm Ready."

Later after Mass, a friend came up to me and told me how before Mass, she had been worrying about something: how was she going to do all the things that she has to do this year? One of her big projects is tied to that song, Open the Eyes of my Heart. My impulsive choices to take risks had put the song she needed to hear right before her, as if to say, don't worry, it will all take care of itself.

People talk of a "God of the gaps." I prefer to call him the "God of the coincidence." :-)