I must confess, I’ve never really been good at keeping a journal. I’m the type of person that tends to keep memories and experiences to myself for later reflection. However with the passing of time I’ve come to see value in writing one’s thoughts down as a way of preserving the integrity of precious experiences that sometimes tend to fade with the passing of time and also as a way of sharing them with others. To that end, I thought I would write about an experience I had recently for my first blog post.

I had been invited to a church in southern Washington to play on a brand-new Yamaha baby grand the church was able to buy with an anonymous donation earlier that week. I was asked to accompany the song service as well as share two of my hymn arrangements as special music selections. How I received the invitation is another story in itself, but after quickly checking my schedule and confirming my availability I decided to accept the invitation to visit the church.

The church was located in a rural area about 40 minutes from Portland, OR, where my family and I presently live. The drive was enjoyable and the landscape seemed alive with the dense greenery of the Pacific Northwest which is fueled by the almost constant drizzle that is characteristic of this climate.

The church was smaller than I imagined but the people were warm and gave us a hearty welcome. The lady who had extended the invitation to me explained that she intended to book our ministry for a concert at their church in the future but was glad that we consented to drive the better part of an hour to provide piano accompaniment for their praise and worship song service and to share a couple of hymn arrangements.

The service seemed just right for a small country church and my family and I quickly felt at home. The testimonies and prayer requests were frank, candid and heartfelt as was the sermon. When it was all over we were invited to share lunch with the Burton family (fictitious names have been used to protect the individuals’ identities).

When we arrived at their home Mr. Burton told me that his father and mother lived closeby but that his father had recently become debilitated and that he and his wife were now unable to attend church regularly. He asked if I would be willing to go over to their house after lunch and play some of my hymn arrangements for his parents, and I agreed to do so.

After lunch my family and I along with the Burtons and their extended family made our way over to Mr. Burton’s parents’ home. The home was quite accommodating and Mr. Burton’s mother was a great host but an unspoken air of sorrow hung in the air as Mr. Burton’s father sat in a chair, a mere shell of his former self.

As I walked over to the piano I discovered that it was an old brown upright. The instrument hadn’t seen a good tuning in years and some of the keys stuck or didn’t sound at all. With a resolve to do my best I offered a prayer to the Lord to bless whatever sound might come out of the old piano and began to play. I began my impromptu afternoon concert with hymn selections on the theme of God’s love for man.

After I finished playing the old familiar hymn “Jesus Loves Me” Mr. Burton’s father remarked, “Boy I don’t know what song that was, but it sure sounded nice.” Everyone laughed—at least he still had his sense of humor! I continued that afternoon with the hymn “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go,” and other hymns on the same theme.

Later into the afternoon I began taking requests and one of Mr. Burton’s mother’s favorite hymns was How Great Thou Art. I played her my medley of the hymns How Great Thou Art and Great Is Thy Faithfulness. When the informal concert was over, we said a prayer for Mr. Burton’s father with over 15 of his family members present. The feeling that I had when I left their home I shall never forget. Although the audience that afternoon was relatively small (approximately 10-12 people) and the piano was certainly not one of the finer instruments I’ve played, yet the blessing I received in ministering to the small church earlier that day and the sick and shut-in elderly couple that afternoon made it well worth the trip for me. And in ministering to those that are out of the way and to those that are sick and afflicted I was reminded that I was in fact ministering to Jesus Himself.

I am both grateful and humbled that God used this experience to teach me that the highest service is not that which is done in front of the greatest audiences or in the presence of the most distinguished individuals but it is that which is done “unto one of the least of these My brethren.” In the process He gives His ministers the opportunity to improve their varied talents, which, taken by themselves, are of truly little worth; yet, through His grace are made a blessing to others. And we as “earthen vessels” who have but little value in ourselves, because of the treasure which God has placed within our hearts, are of priceless value to Him. (2 Cor. 4:6, 7)