It was an extremely cold and windy Thursday last week, and only a few brave, desperate souls assembled for the food. Handcarts were placed near the outside doors but no one stood beside them. Some people stayed in their cars with their heaters blasting, but most came inside the Reach Out fellowship hall for the warmth and the popcorn.
I’ve been to these before, and never know what I’ll be doing with my harp. This time I walked to the corner of the room with the thought that I would play into the atmosphere – pretty safe thing to do -, but then I felt a prompting in the Spirit to visit a moment with a couple seated near me. The husband was in his 30’s perhaps, Hispanic, with multiple long scars on his face. His blond wife looked as though her life had been hard as well. He seemed particularly open to receiving a song “just for him”, so I began to play as the Holy Spirit led me. It was a beautiful melody in the harp’s lower range with depth, warmth and God’s strong empathy. After I stopped and paused, I shared that I felt that one thing God was saying was that He loved him and cared about him. “I hope so,” he said softly, not at all sure. I reassured him that God did love him very much, and then moved on to play a different song altogether for his wife. Among other things she may have been hearing, I told her that I felt part of the message of her song was that the good thing she was hoping for was on the way. They sincerely thanked me.
I also played Spirit-led songs for another couple. This time they both spoke little English. The man had recently arrived from Russia. Their songs, not surprisingly, were also unique to each of them – hers a lilting, joyful song; his rousing and virile, almost a Russian folk song. Their grateful response touched my heart. As I packed up, I enjoyed the feeling that the Lord had spoken through those harp songs that evening to reach deep places I could never touch with words.