When I was in Scotland in 2008 on my first concert tour, I was asked to come and sing in a small church in the foothills of the Highlands. The minister there had explained that the area had been hit hard economically in the previous years and most of their congregation were the struggling working class. He suggested that I should prepare a concert of mixed secular and religious songs combined with my personal testimony. You see, he had planned on advertizing the concert as a community concert rather than a “Christian Outreach Concert”. It was his hope that the many people who did not regularly attend church would be willing to come to this concert because it was not specifically a Christian Concert.
I prepared a concert that included such American favorites as “It’s a Grand Night For Singing” from Rogers and Hammerstein’s’ State Fair and “The Italian Street Song” from Herbert’s Naughty Marietta. Then, because they had advertized me as a “Operatic Soprano” I sang “O mio babbino” from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Verdi’s “Caro nome” from Rigoletto. To round out the concert I sang a few negro spirituals like “Deep River” and “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” and I finished the concert with a few of my favorite hymns and spiritual songs of “My Soul Wait For The Lord’ and “Down form His Glory”.
After the concert the minister asked me to go to the entrance of the church and greet the many guests that had come. As I stood, talking to the people, I noticed a man standing in the shadows just watching and waiting patiently. As the crowds dispersed he sauntered over to me. He was a middle-aged man with sandy colored red hair in a worn brown bomber jacket. He spoke with a thick Scottish brogue and he had a very discerning look on his face. He looked directly at me and said, “I just wanted you to know that I did not want to be her tonight. I do not like any music, especially opera and I only came because my wife had spent three weeks insisting that I come tonight. So, needless to say I am not here of my own free will.”
As you can imagine, I did not know how to respond to him, so I simply apologized to him hoping not to offend him more. He abruptly stopped me and added, “No, I’m not finished, I wanted to let you know that God sent you to Scotland, just for me.” He then explained that he had experienced a lot of struggles in his life and he had given up on God. After all, how could God allow anyone to suffer so much? He was very unhappy with his life and he had decided that God had given up on him. Why should he bother with God? He then added that he really hates any music and he doesn’t even listen to it on his hour drive to work every day. So he was sure that I understood, he was not looking forward to coming to the concert. Then, while choking back tears, he explained that one particular song had really touched him. You see, the song “My Soul Waits for the Lord” has a very uplifting story of its own behind it and I had used that story to introduce it. The composer, a dear friend, had writen that song at a very tumultuous time in his life. His marriage of over 20 years had just dissolved before his eyes and he was faced with raising his two young sons on his own. At the lowest point in his life he found solace in the Lord and set down and wrote the song.
“The Scottish Man” began to weep rather uncontrollably and he confided in me that he found so much encouragement that a man could be so filled with the Holy Spirit and not be afraid to express it. I wrapped my arms around him and we cried together knowing that the Lord had used both of us to touch each other spiritually. Then he took my hand in his and said, “Thank you, I invited Jesus into my heart while you sang tonight about His gift of salvation “. He never gave me his name and I have never seen that man again even though I sang at that church again in May 2009. The minister looks for him every Sunday but he has never come again. I pray for him daily because the Lord knows his name and I know in my heart God is reassuring me that the “Scottish Man” knows the Lord and is walking with him daily. That is a moment I will cherish all of my life. The Lord blesses me time and time again by allowing me to share in the most intimate moments in other peoples’ lives. That is why I never question His guidance and path in my life and I thank God every day that I get to be His tool.
God Bless,
Jessie