His Mysterious Ways

"Are you going to be here tonight?" the director of our Sunday night singspiration asked as I was leaving the church yesterday.  I said yes, but we might not sing, remembering my misgivings last time.  "Then read something," she suggested.  I thought about that, then on the way home I had an idea.

Our son had recently given my husband  a book of hymns with the stories of how they were written. "Howard, why don't you sing tonight and do one of the songs in the book Greg gave you, and I will read the story behind the song!"  I had already read one that we could use.

He was agreeable, and after lunch I heard him practicing on it when I went into the bedroom.  I found myself singing along absent-mindedly while I was straightening pillows on the bed.  It seemed he was singing it a little too slowly and I heard myself saying, "Do you want me to sing it with you tonight?"  He said okay,  and suggested that after two verses, I would read the story, then we would sing the two concluding verses.

The song was written by a minister of music who had doubts about the salvation of his soloist.  He said the Lord led him to write a song of invitation and have the soloist sing it.  He did, and after the message that night, the soloist was the first one in the altar and gave his heart to the Lord.  The song was Lord, I'm Coming Home, by William J. Kirkpatrick. 

One never knows how the Lord will direct someone.  Last Sunday, Howard had felt bad in church and we went to the doctor the next day.  He has been feeling better this week and was playing his guitar on the platform for the Sunday morning service yesterday, so when prayer requests were taken, I didn't ask prayer for him, but I thought I probably should have. No one else mentioned him, either. 

There was a visting pastor present in the service, and after the song service I was surprised to look up and see him on the platform kneeling in front of Howard and praying for him!  After church I asked him what prompted him to have prayer for my husband.  He said he just felt led to pray for him! His eyes grew wide when I told him Howard had been ill.  I'm glad there are people who listen when God speaks!  (Our song worked out, too, thank you Jesus!)