"This is My Father's world..."

      My nephew Jeffrey sits at his 1920 Steinway piano in the middle of his run down 1950 "mobe", in the middle of a run down ranch that is miles from town. The kitchen has been "remodeled". A real butcher block, on loan, is their countertop, an old baker's rack, freshly painted is the pantry, a door cut in half for shelves has become the cupboard for dishes.  Doors have come off the bathroom, bedrooms, and closets and been replaced with curtains to make the tiny spaces feel more spacious.  A living room addition is in process and when we arrived, Jeffrey stopped the floor installation to greet us.  We have come to hear him play on his newly acquired piano.  He pulls off the plastic cover and the two blankets that protect it from construction dust and sits down.  He begins to play a familiar hymn, "This is My Father's World, and to my listening ears, all nature sings and 'round me rings the music of the spheres.  This is my Father's world, I rest me in the thought, of rocks and trees, of skies and seas--His hand the wonders wrought."

And deep within, I hear God say, "Take notice, this  is your Father's world. It is in process, it is incomplete, there are so many things that need fixing, but there is more here. There is life and creativity and enthusiasm for what I will make of this place." 

Here it is, another invitation for me to stop and notice.  Where ever I am, God is there and if my ears, my eyes and my heart are open to the music God is playing, I may just see the wonders of His hands in process.

Missy