One Christmas my family was super broke. I was probably 8 or 9 and didn’t super know what was going on, but I knew we didn’t have a Christmas tree which I wasn’t upset about cause we built a manger instead. Which was dope. But I was aware enough of the circumstances to know that we weren’t going to do a ton of presents that year. Which I was chill with. That Christmas has always gone down in my head as one of the best Christmases ever. I got my very own tiny Courtney sized violin.
I loved that thing. Showing off my new prized possession was the best. My older brother, Jordan, taught me a little bit about how to play and my family patiently listened to me screech my way through songs.
I didn’t keep up with playing and I never became super awesome at the violin. But that instrument was a huge part of where my love for making music comes from. That and the fact that my brother and his wife are phenomenal musicians, my papa plays guitar beautifully and harmonizes like a boss, and my mama has a killer voice and mad flute skills.
That violin is the best gift I’ve ever been given and I’ve always wanted to be a part of getting to give a gift like that to another child. And my opportunity came this week.
The other day I was sitting at the park playing my ukulele. Deb (teammate) had bought flowers and was giving them out to random folks around. There was a mama watching her kids play and Deb went to give her a flower and talk. I had this selfish desire to never stop playing my ukulele, and I was like where is this coming from? But I looked up and Deb, the mom, and her son were walking towards me.
The mom was so excited to see me with the uke. She explained that her son, we will call him Jonathan, had been dreaming about a guitar that was “his size”. I let him sit next to me on the bench and play my uke.
Look at his face!! Cutie.
Anyway. We talked and this kid played and played. I taught him a couple of chords, he was a natural. My eyes started leaking a little because I realized something.
I’ve learned so much from this little instrument. It doesn’t look like much, but God has used it to change my perspective on a lot of things. But what made the spigot behind my eyes turn on was the fact that I had played that ukulele for the last time.
Because I’m a little stubborn and kinda selfish I sat there fight back tears and silently told God “I need a sign. If I’m supposed to give him this instrument I need you to make it abundantly clear.” Immediately I got this vision of an older Jonathan playing a beautiful guitar. And very clearly heard God say that I was getting to be a part of fulfilling Jonathan’s dream now, and getting to show the family how present God is.
As we prepared to leave I realized I was getting to be for Jonathan what many others have been for me. Loving people that are a huge part of my life but never get to see the actual impact they make.
I told his mom that I wanted to give them my ukulele. She immediately started crying and gave me a big hug. She told me that he’s been dreaming of an instrument for a long time but they simply can’t afford it. So they had been praying that God would bring a guitar for him.
God brought a ukulele instead.
Getting to be a tiny part of other people’s stories is the best part of the race. I’m praying that this precious is able to see the power of God moving in and through their experiences, and that the things holding them back from being truly on fire for Him would be obsolete.
I’m supposed to meet them again to teach him a little bit about how to play ukulele. And my heart is bursting to be a part of fulfilling this little guys dreams. But more importantly, my heart is bursting because God has big plans for this family and He used a ukulele from Amazon through the hands of a random racer to show His presence and power.
He’s wild. Am I right or am I right??
