re: FAMILY OF GOD HOMECOMING
I threw out into the wide world of 'dreams come true', the wish for living to see the day that I could attend, in our part of the world, our very own version of something similar to Gaither Homecomings. I mentioned that I would like to accomplish it by next Memorial Day, 2013.
After making this public....it seems that others are also so hungry just to get a chance to hear those 'old hymns', and most of all....THE HARMONY. Ohhhh, how I miss 'harmony'. Have you ever noticed, in our transformation to Praise Choruses, they are at times very, very difficult to find the harmony notes when singing them? Many times, in our experience....everyone is singing the same note.
No, I have not researched how to get to one of the Gaither Homecomings. I do watch them often on TV, and I sit there, praising God that I can participate with them, even if it is not live. My days of traveling to other states; well, unless God sees fit to heal me - I may not see that happen again, for me.
And, by the way.....I am so, so believing that at any moment, God can heal me as quick as the blink of an eye, and so totally restored that no one would recognize the person that I am now. I actually wake up every morning believing that this could be the day. I pray for it. I believe it. From there, God is in charge, and I just put one foot in front of another from there.
It is amazing to me; you can feel like you are a 'good' person, like you are doing so many things right. The amazing thing is.....how much I learn, every day, that still needs to be corrected, measured, readjusted, cleaned up, confession and forgiveness; all of that still happening, and I AM 63 YEARS OLD!!!!! Sometimes I feel like such a fool, to have wasted so many years as if I was a blind person to what God kept trying to tell me.
As I received more and more comments about loved ones saying, "I'll be there" when I mentioned my desire to find a way to make my dream come true.....that was when 'ALL' the organizational details started to hit my brain. I ran into a real stalemate when I heard a voice saying, "You are not a big enough person for this task". "Here you are again....biting off more than you can chew!!!!" "If you think you can climb Mt. Everest, well then go ahead and make a fool of yourself."
There are several issues that I need to research first, before I can count on a date....but I am determined to try, as best as I can, to see this through. "I can do all things, through Christ, who strengtheneth me".
This might be a dream of mine, but I would need an "Army" of people that would also need to commit to this. Truly, the best comparison would be a little boy named David, standing in front of a Giant.
There are key people that I have to find out if they are available and if they can help me to make this happen. The largest group of people that were majorly part of me spending many years participating in music ensembles, duets, trios, chorus'......those people are of the Bethany Wesleyan Church in Cherryville, PA. I cannot accomplish this without the help of two other people. I envision my brother-in-law, Paul Sheets as music conductor (possibly even if we could recruit his brother, David Sheets to help out) and facilitator of the flow of everything. My sister-in-law, Yvonne Miller is the only one I can see knowing how to direct the musicians area. These are those familiar to me. I am sure that there are those that could fill these shoes just as well, but these are part of my wish list.
If any of these have yearly/traditional plans for Memorial Day weekend, I would have to change the date. If I remember correctly, I think it is possible that the entire church, of Cherryville Wesleyan....they hold a huge Missionary fund raising event every Memorial Day weekend. That is one of the first road blocks that came to mind. The number of people on my wish list....of those participating; the number within that church far out number those in any other church. I just couldn't do it without them. For instance: Aunt Mary Jane Bohun, George Moyer, Pastor Dwight Addington, Lorraine Gundrum; newer on the scene...those that I have heard that have experience with singing special numbers, and would be such a blessing to include them: a few of the Heisler family and many more that I am sure Lorraine Gundrum or Aunt Mary Jane could suggest. Then there are those from family that have been involved in music ministry for many years: The Heckman family, Lydia Macinta, my brother Barry. There are many, many more that I haven't included here, and I am sure many of those that I don't even know, but could contribute in amazing ways to this event.
I am picturing that it would have to take place indoors, for the acoustic affects. I also picture it being so much like the Gaither Homecomings: Start out with someone singing a verse, and then all those in attendance can join in on the choruses, etc. One thing that I haven't mentioned - this is my dream, but the reality is, I no longer can sing. Ohhhh, but that doesn't stop me from sitting there and either humming my harmony part, or even just soaking in the heavenlyness of the harmony, that to me, it always sounds like what heaven is going to sound like. Lots of singing, and I have to believe that it will be mostly harmonizing. So, in case you can't tell....this whole thing would not be about me; it would not be about me being able to have a place to sing in the way I soooo loved to do for so many years. It is truly just all about 'preparing a place' where we all can just bathe ourselves in, and bask in all those old songs so many of us still love so much, to this day.
Let me tell you.....if when you have your family gatherings, and you don't know what it is like to all sit around, with someone at the piano/accordian, guitars, trumbones, trumpets, violins, saxaphones, etc. - all just spontaneously coming up with a favorite song, that just pops into someone's mind. Ohhhhh, I want to say, you haven't really 'lived' unless you experience this. It all started, for our family, in those long car rides, when we would go on vacation as a family. Oh my, the most beautiful harmony and praise came from those car rides. I was the 'planner' in the family. I always grabbed several of our favorite song books, to help with times when we couldn't remember the words. Oh, my giddy heart!!! There was never a Miller family reunion (my Daddy's family) when we didn't have a 'singspiration' time planned. On the "what to bring list" always was: make sure to bring any instrument that you play. I wish I could post snap shots of family members, even those that don't consider themselves to have 'talent' in the area of singing; Ohhhhh, but their faces of just being captured and singing their hearts out, or even just marveling at the sounds coming from those that were singing. Tears just a running down some faces - some out of pure joy and blessing; at times, some from conviction or inspiration. Many a time I have heard the phrase, "we just don't want this to end", or "I don't want to leave this place". At the bedside of our precious Mother, as she was dying, we all just kept singing, and singing. At one point, near the end, she asked us to sing again. We sang around Daddy's bed, as he was nearing the end of his life as well. If anyone attended either of their memorial services, you got a glimpse of how those old hymns, spiritual songs are engrained in our hearts. They are truly a part of our DNA.
I know we are not alone in this appreciation of the old songs. Therefore, my question is: why can't we organize our own version of Gaither Homecoming? If this turns out to be something that is not possible, my plan B is - I want to sit in a live concert of Gaither Homecoming. I would especially want to know that Mark Lowrey would be there.
Now, to paint a picture of the songs on my wish list:
First on my list......a gentleman's quartet, with a strong baritone voice, able to sing a solo part for a verse or two of "HOW GREAT THOU ART".
Female voice starting out the precious song: "Jesus Is The Sweetest Name I Know".
A child, not shy or able to be intimidated, singing, "I Am Something Special".
An ensemble singing: "If We Never Meet Again, This Side of Heaven".
Of course.....maybe a saxaphone starting out with a verse of 'Amazing Grace' and a chosen choir joining in, with a few solo parts.
I will continue this blog, in hopes that we can see this event come to fruition. If you could, I would appreciate if you could share this blog site with others that are in your contacts list.
I have a plan for the day/timing as well. Everyone would eat their 'substantial meal at noon that day - at home or in a nearby eatery. Then, pack a lunch for your family. Those traveling: pick up a sandwich and other preferred foods for your picnic basket (enough for your family). We would take a quick break to eat our picnic meal. I am thinking: start time for the day -gather at 1:30 pm. Take our early evening break around 5PM and leave enough time for fellowship. Get back together for another 3hours+ of a little bit of heaven on earth.
It would also be wonderful if we could enlist folks, in the area, that would be willing to house traveling individuals, couples, families, for the night.
We would have to charge something for using facilities/electricity/sound engineers, etc.
Ok.....there it is; so far. My dream for "Family Of God Homecoming".
I will try to hunt down some video tape of Miller Family Reunion, and memorial services of our parents. If you have never been a part of moments like this, I can only hope that you will participate in this event.
Those that 'skim read'..........and miss details: please note - I no longer can sing. Unless God heals me, I would be there in a wheel chair, with no ability to direct anything. I would have my clip board of organizational details, in case anyone has a question.
By faith...believing that we serve a God that can make all things possible,
Bonnie Miller Sauder (Abe calls me 'lady' - that is where 'ladybug' came from)
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