A Miracle of Music

Lyn Rogers

West  Bountiful, Utah

February 2011

My daughter-in-law's grandmother died unexpectedly and her family found themselves putting a funeral together.  My son was asked to sing the hymn “Abide With Me Tis Eventide”.

As I play the piano, my son suggested that I could accompany him and from there I was asked to also play the congregational hymns that would be sung.  Of course, I willingly agreed. I left the house more than an hour before the funeral to make the twenty minute drive to the church where the funeral would be held.  Somehow I missed seeing the church and found another one a little way down the same road but of course no one was there.  I drove to the house of my son's parents-in-law but again, no one was there.  I had forgotten my cell phone and with no clear idea of where I was going, I drove away from the house and turned onto the street where the church was.  It seemed like I looked up and suddenly the right church was in front of me.  I felt like I had been led there.

I went into the building about thirty minutes before the funeral started.  My son and I went into another room to go over the hymn he was to sing.  We hit a snag, the notes was too high for him to sing comfortably.  I needed to transpose the notes down but I have never been able to transpose, my mind just doesn't work that way.  To transpose you need to be able to think of the notes in terms of higher or lower.  You play the same pattern but not on the same notes.  I needed to play a step and a half lower so my son could sing.  I tried, the first two lines were okay but after that the music was more complicated.  Finally I asked for a few minutes to try and work out the new notes. 

As soon as my son left the room, I bowed my head.  My prayer was short and to the point.  “Father,” I said, “I can't do this. I know the Thou can.  Please help me so that I can too.”  For about fifteen minutes I practiced and found myself able to work out the notes.  It wasn't easy, but I could do it.  Now I still had to remember the notes.  I again bowed my head and asked for help in remembering and playing the correct notes.  I had five minutes before the funeral started and I went into the chapel and began playing prelude music.  When my son got up to sing, I began playing, playing the correct notes.  I made a couple of small mistakes but I was able to remember the notes I had worked out and played the hymn in the lower key.  I know I never could have done it by myself.  I know I had my own miracle, small though it was, and it let me know the Lord was mindful of me.