Takamine

Ever see God turn a bad thing into a good thing?

Yesterday, my bandmates and I travelled to Hartsville SC to enter the 2008 Renofest bluegrass band contest. There were six bands that entered - mostly from SC and NC, with one as far away as Pennsylvania. In this contest, the winning band takes home $1500 (but the other five bands get $0...not even gas money!) To make a long story short, we didn't win. Actually, we didn't even make the first cut. Very humbling!

We were pretty bummed driving home - it was a long way to travel to lose that badly. We decided to stop by a music store in Columbia that has a Friday night bluegrass jam session. We had a good time jamming, and played a few tunes onstage during an open-mike time. We were very well received, so that helped us feel a little better!

In the lobby of the store, our guitar player Benji and I got to chatting with a stocky 12-yr old boy. He was a neat kid - he told us he LOVES bluegrass, especially gospel bluegrass. He said he loves singing songs about the Lord (and he even sang us a few...good voice!) I asked him what instrument he plays, and he said guitar.

He went on to tell us that he had recently broken his only guitar, a Takamine cutaway acoustic. We asked him how that happened. He said an older lady had lost her husband of many years, and had asked him to sing a gospel tune during the funeral service. At the funeral, the boy accidentally tipped over his guitar, and the headstock broke off of the neck. He even showed me pictures on his cell phone!

I asked him if he was going to get it repaired, and he said he had taken it to the shop, but the repairman said the repairs would cost more than the guitar was worth. When I asked him if he was going to buy a new guitar, he said he didn't have enough money, and that he and his Dad had been praying about getting a new guitar.

Here's the cool part.

Benji tells the kid that the first guitar he ever got was a Takamine cutaway acoustic, and that he still has it, but never plays it now that he has two Martins. Benji tells the kid to call him tomorrow, and he'll meet him in Laurens and give him the guitar...sort of a gift from God.

Isn't that how God works? This kid and his Dad have been praying that God would help them find a new guitar, and Benji (who has been growing a lot in his Christian faith over the last couple years) makes himself available to God to unselfishly answer the need. The boy learns that God answers his prayers, and Benji experiences the joy of selfless giving and the thrill of obedience to the Lord.

Who knows, maybe the whole reason our band went to Hartsville and lost the contest was so that, on the way back, God could match up Benji's unused Takamine cutaway acoustic (and his generous heart) with a young boy's need (expressed to God in prayer).

Well, my all-time favorite movie is on TV (Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the original 1971 version), and I must go watch it. Hope you have a great Easter...

He is risen!