"Most Thankful"

I realized the other day that I have promised several times over the years to post this on the blog, but I never have.  I thought Father's Day weekend was an appropriate time to share it. 

This is the scrapbook page that was published in the November 2003 Creating Keepsakes magazine.

Here's the journaling:

There are many things I am thankful for this year...But of all the things I am thankful for, the thing I am most thankful for this year is a folder full of music.

It may seem a small thing, strange really, especially considering all the things I have to be thankful for.  But, that choir folder represents a miracle in our family, our children seeing the power of prayer, and a confirmation of the faithfulness of God.

I am thankful for an image that sticks in my mind--an image of the Easter Musical Dress Rehearsal, April 17, 2003--an image of my dad reading music from a choir folder.

It seems a very small thing--something 30-40 of us do every week as we rehearse music at choir practice--simply reading words and music from a printed page. But, for him that night, it was a miracle.

I sat peeking over my shoulder, watching as my daddy studied the music we were singing, and a lump formed in my throat as I thought back to last year's dress rehearsal. I choked back tears as I remembered peeking over my shoulder to see if Daddy was able to sing, wondering if he was getting the words, the notes, the rhythms of the especially difficult music we were singing.

For last year as we sang, Daddy held an empty folder. Legally blind due to health problems, he sang the entire musical (including several pieces from Handel's Messiah) from memory. Because of the work Mother had done with him, many in the audience didn't realize that the folder he held was empty...until Bro. Phil mentioned it at the end of the evening.

But this year, he held a folder full of music. After two surgeries and much prayer, at the time of the musical his vision was almost right at 20/20. A few hours before the musical, I was able to show him my scrapbooks for the first time in almost 18 months. He can now indulge his love of reading again, recognize old friends across a room, and see the smiles of his grandchildren.

For that, I am most thankful."

(Due to the transparencies used on this page, I can't seem to get a good photo of it no matter how hard I try. Sorry! :))

What are you thankful for today?  What is your favorite "dad story" this Father's Day weekend...about your dad or another father figure? I'd love for you to share in the comments!


Thanks for visiting Ponderings of an Elect Exile!  Don't want to miss a post?  Please take a minute to follow Ponderings of an Elect Exile on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.  Or subscribe by email via the box in the sidebar.  I'd also love to hear from you in the comments or via the email option on my profile page.  You can also share this post or others via the share buttons on each post.