Five Minute Friday - After

Doren and Silas After The Concert

It's Friday! No! Wait! Actually, it's Saturday!

In all honesty, I had so much to do yesterday that when I got Lisa Jo's e-mail...after taking one look at this week's assigned word...I thought, "Oh! I don't have time for this this week. I'm just going to skip it. And besides...'after'? What would I write about the word 'after'?" Absolutely nothing came to mind, so I completely dismissed the idea of participating in this week's Five Minute Friday and promptly deleted the e-mail. But God had other plans...and this might actually take more than five minutes to write, but it's definitely worth sharing...so...here goes!

(And for those of you who are wondering "What's Five Minute Friday?", please, visit Lisa Jo's page to find out more. Normally I share all that here, but not this time.)

Okay...long story short...there is a singing group here in Missouri that is fairly well-known called the Calvarymen and we've known these guys for, going on, 25 years. We first got to know them when they visited our church in Blue Springs (several times over the years), then, since we've moved to Liberal we've seen them a few times, too.

Well, last night, they were going to be performing in Joplin at Neosho radio station KNEO's annual 'Listener Appreciation' night. Our daughter and son-in-law and their family was going and they invited Nana and Papa along for an evening out...dinner and a concert. So...we went and had a wonderful time!

But what I want to share with you happened toward the end of and AFTER the concert. Toward the end of the concert Doren Keeler (tenor for the Calvarymen) gave his testimony...which John and I and our daughter and son-in-law have heard many times over the years and never get tired of hearing....BUT this was our grandchildren's first time of hearing it.

Okay...so Doren gave his testimony. The man had a near death experience when he was struck by lightening and it just gives you goose pimples whenever you realize what a miracle it truly is that he's standing there...alive...and able to tell you all about it. After Doren shared his awesome testimony, the group sang a couple more songs, then the concert was over.

During those last couple of songs, our 5-year-old grandson, Silas, was sitting there at the table just SOBBING. His mom had taken his baby brother to the back because he was getting tired and cranky and, at first I thought that that was why Silas was crying...maybe he wanted his mom?...but his daddy, nor I, neither one, knew what was wrong. The poor boy seemed just heart-broken!

When the concert ended I said, "Silas, why were you crying? What was wrong?" And he said something about crying over "that sad thing."

Sad thing? We finally figured out that Silas had been crying over Doren's testimony. All that time he had been sitting there being a typical little boy...playing with his airplane and cars...drawing and coloring pictures...seeming not to pay any attention at all...and all that time he was listening...not only with his ears, but with his heart. I was practically moved to tears myself.

I asked Silas if he would like to meet Doren and, of course, he did. As a family we went back to the sales table where Doren was talking with a man. When the opportunity presented itself, Silas and Doren were introduced and they had themselves quite a little visit. Silas presented Doren with a picture that he had drawn for him, and on which he written the words "I love you." Doren had Silas write his name on the back of the picture, then Doren explained to Silas what a great miracle it was that God had wrought the day he saved his live, but what a greater miracle it was the day that he had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour and God had saved his soul. It was so touching! The two of them became fast friends and I hope that it's a friendship that will be revisited over the years just as it has been for us. This makes four generations of our family that has been touched by the ministry of the Calvarymen!

The Calvarymen

So...after not being able to think of thing to write about the word 'after' on Friday morning, I think God provided quite an opportunity AFTER the concert Friday night! And I'm glad I was there to see it! :)