"Brother Bill"

Our family just returned from a trip to a Shaffer family reunion in Kentucky, combined with a trip to Niagara Falls, New York, where my husband preached a week of Revival services at Calvary Baptist Church.

Among the many blessings we experienced while in New York, there was one that left an indelible impression on all our hearts. So much so, that for the first few hours of our return trip home, each of us kept bringing up the memory and verbally reminiscing, on the blessing that it was to us.

Let me tell you the story of, “Brother Bill”. Bro. Bill was the first person we met upon entering the Calvary Baptist Church of Niagara Falls. It was easy to take note of him as he slowly shuffled his way through a side door close to the front of the sanctuary. It was an entrance closest to his end seat on the fourth row, which he occupied each night of the meeting.

As he painstakingly limped in on his four legged walking stick to take a seat, he stopped to greet us with what we came to know as, the “Bro. Bill handshake and smile”. My first impression of this dear man was, “Poor thing, he can barely walk and here he is…the first one into the church and the first person to greet us!”

Incredible!

Upon our first meeting, I came to learn that he was 87 years old, a widower and had been at Calvary Baptist Church since he was fourteen years old! That alone, was remarkable to me! He was eager to know something about us as well. His face just lit up when he found out that our daughter, Cherith, would be playing piano and violin and accompanying her dad as he sang.

We then learned that he was once the pianist and had even led the music at Calvary Baptist. The great sadness and frustration over his present physical limitations was plain to read on his face, as he shared with us about his past days of serving the Lord musically, there at Calvary. We were all touched by his resume of past service in the Lord’s church.

As the week of Revival meetings progressed, we kept hearing about the exceptional talents of “Bro. Bill”, and I wondered…. “Can he still play?” I could see that walking around was a real chore, so I assumed that playing the piano at all, was out of the question.

Then Sunday morning came. When we arrived at the church, I received a bulletin which contained the order of the service and a listing of everyone who had a part. There in black and white was “Bro. Bill’s” name! He was scheduled to play the morning offertory! I was thrilled for him! Cherith and I were filled with excited anticipation as we awaited the morning offering. I tried to envision how this dear man was going to get from his seat on the fourth row, to the piano bench, in the short time it took to ask prayer over the offering. A multitude of wonderings skipped across my mind as we anticipated “offering time”.

When the time finally came, I did something I very seldom do during prayer. I kept my eyes open in order to watch “Bro. Bill” laboriously get up and scoot his walking cane toward the piano. I could sense his nervousness. The man who prayed over the offering was a blessing too, because he prayed long, allowing “Bro. Bill” time to get to the piano bench, wipe his trembling hands on his pant legs and then position his hands over the keys in anxious preparation.

Then…he began to play…

Tears filled my eyes as this dear saint of God gave his 87 year old best for the Master. No, it wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t have to be. But, it was beautiful and was played with a right Spirit.
I was drinking up this special moment so I would not forget it! I smiled and cried and wished I was able to say, “Amen” out loud, like my husband my could!

I will never forget the lesson learned from watching dear “Bro. Bill” play that offertory on Father’s Day.

So many church musicians are able bodied… but they are not able spirited. So many people have talent and are physically capable, yet their spirit is sour and they find the weekly burden of a music ministry, almost more than they can bear. How grievous that attitude is.

Others find themselves overflowing with musical talent, yet before you know it, they lose the wonder and the joy of being able to sing or play an instrument to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, in the wonderful house of the Lord.

Something serious is wrong in their heart.

Once again, I was reminded by dear “Bro. Bill”, that it’s not the amount of talent you have that makes your musical contribution a blessing. It’s the Spirit in which you do, what you do, that makes your music a blessing to others!

I hope the folks in Bro. Bill’s church family always remember that profound truth.

I know I will.