Last night after worship team practice, we enjoyed a variety of desserts and I talked to the group about what I appreciated so much about each one of them. Three months ago when we decided that August 14th would be our last Sunday at the church we've been such a vested part of for many, many years, I thought that the last few practices and last few Sundays would be heartbreaking. I prayed that is wouldn't be.

God has answered that prayer.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the last six weeks or so...Melody has chosen all of my favorites, Kristie has smiled in spite of the tears, Jodi is making progress on learning the piano duties, Darren has not cried (I'm impressed!) and he set up a fan for me, Donny has rocked the drums, and Phil has been able to make it a few times to rock the auxiliary percussion. Mel hasn't even been grouchy at me (you know how siblings can be)! Even at this dessert get-together, when I was sharing how important this group has been over the past six years or so, I was just filled with joy and peace. These people have given their talents to God because they love Him. These people love each other. These people want to see our church continue to grow.

After I was done yakking, the group gave me a card and gift. The gift was a frame with three picture openings, imprinted with this: "Friends...someone who knows the song in your HEART and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten it."

The top opening contains a picture of our group, and the bottom opening has a picture of me at the piano during a Trough evening.

But the middle spot took me by surprise. The emotion took me by surprise.

In the middle, Melody had placed an excerpt of my favorite contemporary Christian song:

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say,
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your glorious name.

Immediately, my throat tensed up and tears came. They knew the reason that this song has been so important to me in the past six months. They knew enough to care to personalize a simple gift in such a meaningful way that it touched me to the core.

When I got home and showed Wayne the gift, I realized that the bottom picture of me preparing to play the piano contained something else. The music I was getting ready to play was "Blessed Be Your Name." For people who don't understand my love of music, this may seem like a coincidence. For me, it was a God moment.

And I knew that they would always be my friends as my family now turns to another God-given task.