So Who's Shouting at Whom?

As I looked out on the front yard this morning, It seemed like we had been transported three months back to December. My plans for yard work, and possibly a family hike in the Blue Ridge suddenly seemed ridiculous.
Clearly, somebody else was running the show.

But, I had little time to contemplate:  I needed to get to church for the early service, where I would be ringing bells in the handbell choir. And, while I drove like a banshee, many other people were running late. So, our practice runs of  "Shout To The Lord"  sounded more like wind chimes in a Crackerbarrel store. Fortunately, most everyone did show, and the final practice run did sound like actual music. Whew!

Time to vacate the hall to allow the younger ringers to practice their piece. So, we grab our music binders, and head back to the music office to wait and gather before the service. And, after a while, they join us, we pray to dedicate the service, and then file back out to the hall. The younger group is ringing immediately, so we were in a bit of a stampede getting back to the hall. As the older choir is getting seated, one of our number (who rings right next to me), can't find her binder ---  that she had carefully set down on the bench not ten minutes before. As the service starts, we all start looking around frantically, under the benches, behind the seats, on the floor.   Nada - no binder. Which is bad, because the music is fairly complicated, and everyone's binder is customized, marked in a particular way, and, well; no binder, no music! And there are ten of us, and each person has to be ringing, or all of the beautiful and complex notes start to sound sound like random wind chimes.

Now, Allison is a very calm person and a very talented musician, who plays multiple instruments, sings, and is really impressive. But I swear, as we got within a couple of minutes of playing time, her eyes started to get that deer-in-the-headlights look, and was that sweat glistening on her forehead? And then, not sixty seconds before we went up to play, someone spies a lone binder across the aisle - it was hers! Saved - but just barely. I knew Allison was rattled.

Then there's our cue, we're up to the tables, setting up our binders, arranging our bells. As I finish, I glance up, and am completely surprised to see our director hurriedly raise her hand (bells up) and immediately start the count. Uh oh, because, to my left, Allison was still looking down, setting up her binder! But, the director is counting, so, knowing there's only one measure before we play, I lift my first bell, hurrying for the first note.
then the the second, and third -  before I notice that the director is still holding up her other hand.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

I've just committed the ultimate bell playing sin, which is to start too early, before the rest of the choir. Well, almost, as two other ringers played right along with me. Now, for some reason, the director, who for the last five dozen rehearsals had used a single-measure run up, had now decided to use two measures. That's eight beats, not four. Was I red faced? You bet. Did we keep playing - yes we did. Did it somehow turn out OK - YES!. Allison somehow caught up, we all got on the same note, and, by the end of the piece, it sounded like actual music. Quite good even!

And, as we headed out afterwards, Allison turned to me and said "That was interesting." Which was a considerable understatement, but allowed me to share with her that maybe God had some other agenda this morning. Like maybe our "Shout to The Lord" was really more of him shouting to us...

And As I arrived at home, and saw the snow in our yard, even on the cherry blossoms, it struck me that God can and will find a way to shake things up. This is somehow never on our timetable, but is usually just what we need.

And It's a beautiful thing!