If Guitars Could Speak (part 2)

As I began in ministry, “Brooksy” was there as my tool - like Moses’ staff... (Not that Brooksy does any crazy miracles or anything... Like turning into snakes, turning water into blood and things like that).

As the years went on, and I would visit home, Dick would always be there to ask, “How You Doin’? You still playin’ that ‘ol cedar top?” With a big smile I would reply, “Yes Sir. Everyday.”


In May 2008, I saw my friend Dick again. But this time there were no witty jokes or a heartily, “How You Doin’?” This time, Dick was laying in a hospital bed. He was weak, hardly able to speak and laid on his back. Though when I saw him, he still had that big smile!

Doctors weren’t sure what caused Dick’s sickness. All they knew is that something, perhaps his meds, were causing his lungs to deteriorate, causing his oxygen levels to drop.

As I walked in and sat down beside Dick’s bed, he looked at me, looked at “Brooksy” in my hands and just grinned. I sat down and began to play and sing for my friend Dick. A played a couple of new tunes I was working on and a couple of old favorites. After a few minutes, Dick slowly raised his hand and pointed at me. With his other hand he was pulling up his oxygen mask. With all the voice and air he could muster, he whispered, “Amazing Grace.”

Per his wish, I began to sing, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me...” As I sang, Dick closed his eyes and this calming peace broke out all over his face. But then Dick did something I wasn’t prepared for. As I started into the chorus, “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free...”, Dick raised his hands to the Lord in worship.

Here is a man with no words to sing, no voice to be had, but his heart and hands were lifted in praise to the Lord. Although, he doesn’t know it, Dick taught me much about worship that day.

After I finished this song, we prayed together. With tears beginning to fill both our eyes, I said goodbye. He simply grinned and nodded as I walked out of his room.
About 2 short weeks later, my dad called to tell me, our friend, Dick, had died.


Over the years my guitar (and other instrument) collection has grown, and I still play “Brooksy” from time to time. But mostly, she hangs on the wall in my office for all who come in to see. She hangs there as a testimony. A testimony to the Grace of a loving God and a testimony of an obedient man named Dick.

Man, if that guitar could speak... I wonder if it would say, “How You Doin’?”

If Guitars Could Speak (part 1)

Per my career as a musician, I own many different musical instruments. Many of these instruments, if they could speak, could tell you some crazy stories about where they’ve been or how they came into my possession. One of these instruments is a Takamine EN-10C Acoustic/ Electric guitar (pronounced ‘TawK-a-Mee-nee').

I don’t how much you know of acoustic guitars, but guitars can be made of several different woods. And the sound directly reflects the wood (or woods) the guitar is made of. So, the more exotic the wood, the smoother, deeper, or sometimes, more intense the sound.

My Takamine, or “Brooksy” as I call her (don’t ask... long story. And yes, it is a “her”, because all guys toys are “her’s”) is made of mahogany on the back and sides and a single, thin-cut piece of cedar on the top. This cedar top gives “Brooksy” a nice deep, warm sound. She sounds almost as good as a nice warm cup of hot chocolate tastes. You know, not when it’s too hot, so that it burns the roof of your mouth or tongue, but right as the marshmallows begin to melt together and you get that frothy warm feeling all inside. That’s how “Brooksy” sounds when I play her....

“Brooksy” came to me when I was 17 years old. It was the Fall of my Junior year of high school and I was so looking forward to being done with school. Earlier that year, I had began to feel the Lord’s pull into a specific area of ministry.

Well, one particular day, my dad and I met a family friend, Dick, at his machine shop. I thought this was odd, but sometimes Dad would drop things off for church members from time to time. Little did I know what was in store.

As I entered the shop, Dick was there to greet us with a big smile (as was his style), and a quick, “How You Doin’?” I always laughed when I heard Dick say, “How You Doin’?” It was one of those things I’ll remember about Dick the rest of my life; Even now, still trying to use the “How You Doin’?” with the same style and method that Dick had.

That afternoon in the shop, Dick began to explain to me that he believed the Lord had told him to buy me a guitar. A guitar that would be used to begin the ministry that the Lord had began to show and grow in me over the last year or so.

We went that afternoon to a local guitar shop and “shopped” around a bit trying to find a good one that I liked. Later in the week, Dick showed up at my house with “Brooksy”... and she was PERFECT!

Blogging....

This is an interesting subject to me. I've had friends for years telling me that I need to "blog". I would throw off the idea with a smirk of, "Are you kidding me?" I mean after all, is my life so important that someone would want to "follow" me, know my whereabouts, or how about even care what I think about a particular thought or ideology?

So, there I sat... Going through my days a lowly guitar playing, Dr. Pepper drinking, sometimes likes to engage in debate dude who explores the vast expanse of the ever-changing realm we call the World Wide Web.

Oh, I enjoy reading other thoughts and commentaries on other people's blogs and such, but could I think well enough to expound on my thoughts to become a "blogger"?

And then one day recently, it happened. I was sitting in my office (during some free time - which doesn't happen often) reading some post responses to an article I had read on a blog I frequently read. A passerby stopped abruptly in my office door and burst out into laughter. Apparently, I was so caught up in my debate from reading, I was verbally speaking my thoughts back to my computer screen. We had a quick laugh and as I, slightly red-faced, stood up to shut my office door, this person mentioned I should perhaps put my thoughts in writing....

So, here I sit... writing (nay TYPING) my first thoughts for my FIRST blog entry.

And you know what? It really wasn't so bad. Not really scary at all.
Interesting? Well... that's for others to decide.

But for now, I think I will call it a post.

These are simply my thoughts from the thinking chair....