Thoughts become...

One of the links on my blog is to Tut.com. Every day I get a daily reading which includes my name, sometimes first AND last name. It feels, to a sucker like me, very personal. But this past week, I had something happen that convinced me that what the Tut guy promotes, that thoughts become things, is very true.

At my church, we had a choir director that was full of life. He had been there for five years and gradually developed some habits that the minister was having trouble dealing with. There were warnings and contracts and more warnings, but finally he and the board (that includes me) had to make a decision about whether to let the guy go. It was agonizing. Although this is not my usual way of dealing with things, nor my usual language, at one of the final meetings where we discussed this, I said that until we closed the door on the past, we would never be able to open the door to a new director.

A few days after the old choir director left, I went online and put in "best gospel choir director triangle" in the search line. Two or three results down there was one for the choir director of a Baptist church in Durham. I read about him and said, "Oh my gosh, this is the guy we want!" I sent the article via email to the minister.

The minister is not the best email responder and a few days later I asked him what he thought. He said he hadn't read the mail but for me to contact the man. I called the man's church; he was no longer there but the woman who answered said she would try to get in touch with him and have him call me. Fat chance of all of that going through I said to myself.

A day later, he called the minister. He made it clear that he was already working with five choirs and couldn't take on another. I emailed him and asked would he just come talk to us about finding someone, maybe giving us direction; he said yes.

Last Thursday the minister and I met with this man. He is over six feet tall and has dreadlocks. He has the face of a mighty angel. And as we talked, we realized that he is at a crossroads with his faith. He was very interested in our church's philosophy and my minister took a lot of time to tell him what we believe. After we talked, we walked into the sanctuary so he could see the space. He sat down at the piano and started playing and singing the song "My Life is in Your Hands" and by the time he was finished the minister and I and the cleaning woman were all in tears.
Here are the lyrics:

You don't have to worry
and don't you be afraid
joy comes in the morning
troubles they don't last always
for there's a friend name Jesus
who will wipe your tears away
and if your heart is broken
just lift your hands and say

chorus:
Oh, I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
no matter what may come my way
my life is in your hands

You don't have to worry
and don't you be afraid
joy comes in the morning
troubles they don't last always
for there's a friend name Jesus
who will wipe your tears away
and if your heart is broken
just lift your hands and say

chorus:
Oh, I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
no matter what may come my way
my life is in your hands
with Jesus I can take it
with him, I know I can stand
no matter what may come my way
my life is in your hands

So learn your tests and trials
they seem to get you down
and all your friends and loved ones
are nowhere to be found
remember there's a friend named Jesus
who will wipe your tears away
and if your heart is broken
just lift your hands and say

chorus:
Oh, I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
no matter what may come my way
my life is in your hands
with Jesus I can take it
with him, I know I can stand
no matter what may come my way
my life is in your hands

A few other things were discussed, one of which brought the man to tears. He promised to go home and pray about the situation and get back to us.

I was so high on my way home from this meeting. I'm impulsive and wanted to call him and email him and badger him until he said YES YES YES to my church. But the words to "Let it Be," "There will be an answer, let it be" came into my head and I knew I was going to have to let this develop on its own schedule.

Today he was in church, checking things out, and his mere presence made my heart sing. Thoughts become things.