The Pied Piper

When I went to bed last night, I flipped on the TV in the bedroom and music from the classical music station I usually listen to while I read at night filled the room.  With each selection that is played, the screen normally displays interesting facts about the composer, the writing or performance of the song or explains something unique about the time period in which the song was written.  Usually there is also a picture of the artist.  When I first glanced up to the screen, I noticed that instead of a portrait of the composer, they exhibited a rather large shot of the flute section in an orchestra.

That picture kind of startled me as the main instrument that I thought I'd heard playing at the time was a piano.  Since her passing, I have developed the habit of calling out “Play it Piper” whenever I hear a piano playing on our home entertainment system.  I guess it just makes me feel closer to her as she was a classically trained pianist and I loved nothing more than to hear her play!  Well, last night I had nonchalantly called the saying out as soon as I heard the music, but when I saw the flutists, I stopped short, unscrambled my brain and found myself sort of apologizing to the dog laying on the bed who looked to be questioning my statement and stammered out… “Well… she played that too!”

I don’t know if she took up the flute and piccolo as her band instruments of choice because of her “Pied Piper” name or not, but she was pretty accomplished on those instruments as well.  She proudly played the piccolo in the marching band in high school!   I always thought that it was pretty adorable… little Piper marching down the street playing her little piccolo!

It always seemed very appropriate to me that she did play the flute and piccolo… because of the song that she always carried in her heart.  And like the Pied Piper, people tended to follow her lead and join in with the overflow of joy that simply poured from her and splashed onto anyone around her.  And I am very blessed to say that since we were so close, that the splash of her joy, many times, inundated me to the point that it became a natural response of mine in any and mostly every situation I faced during and now after her life here.   Take this morning for instance…

I knowingly went off my diet yesterday and enjoyed a full Thanksgiving dinner complete with a large slice of pumpkin pie that I made sure was totally covered in whipped cream!  Well… I most definitely paid the price this morning… I awoke feeling like I had a hangover, but instead of alcohol being the culprit it was carbs, sugar and calories galore!  But I pushed on through… since I didn’t have anyone to cuddle my self-pity like Piper!  I had my Bible study, drank some coffee, fed the dog and took a shower.  That helped a little so I grabbed a coat, got the leash and took Fiver for his morning constitutional thinking that I’d feel better after a long walk in the crisp and windy morning air.

After we were out for about five minutes, I began to question my decision.  I finally had to stop for a few moments to let my light-headed feelings go away while I looked down at Fiver who was not pleased with the stop to his walk, and I said, “You know, Buddy… we might need to go home… I’m not sure I can make this!”  I am sad to say, that I learned over the last few years with Piper’s illness and passing, that when I was alone… I was on my own!  If I went down in the middle of the field there near the deserted golf course this morning… it could be a while before somebody found me… and I also had the dog to think about!

So, I took a few deep cleansing breaths and thought, “Okay, what should I do?” … and in a flash, I heard the very familiar sound of Piper’s voice in my head praising the Lord!  …and YEP!  I joined right in and began to quietly praise the Lord and before I knew it, the world stopped slowly spinning and we continued on, finished our walk and I had some breakfast!  (Next time… besides the praise, I’ll eat something before the walk as well!)

But my point… PRAISE WORKS!… Rejoice, be joyful and give thanks to the Lord!  In a very short word of encouragement, the Apostle Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 5:16 to “Always be joyful” (God’s Word ©)  The Message Bible says to “Be cheerful no matter what.”  Arthur S. Way’s translations of Paul’s letters states it as to “Be evermore glad hearted” while the Amplified Version elaborates a bit more explaining that we should “Be happy in our faith and rejoice and be glad-hearted continuously.”

Anyway you look at it, all these various translations tell us that this response in life is not just to be something we TRY to do on occasion, but instead, should be an attitude of our hearts, a part of our personal makeup or simply said, be an active part of our lifestyle!  That’s what it was to Piper and it is still pouring off her memory and splashing onto me today! (and through this post... on to you as well!)

What do you think?  Wouldn’t you like that to be said and/or known of you?  But like any thing else… it takes practice, practice and more practice… and an occasional reminder!  I mean look at me.  I literally lived with the Pied Piper and I still needed to be reminded of PRAISE, JOYFULNESS AND THANKSGIVING this morning!

I hope that you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving and are still enjoying the rest of the Thanksgiving Holiday!