I have a picture of myself as a seven-year old taped to my desk at home. I glance at it a lot and think back to those simpler days of growing up in a perfect neighborhood; full of kids who played outside until dark when we would hear all the screen doors slam as parents called their children home. We’d grumble about having to quit playing, but said good night and headed home, ready for another day. We respected and obeyed our parents in those days without question or comment.

 Life was simple in those days for this young boy. He walked to school and back, studied and did homework, ate dinner as a family (without exception or discussion), had some playtime with friends, went to church and was involved in groups there, and sat in his treehouse (with invited friends) and discussed books and what we wanted to be as we grew up.

  Then, one day when he turned eight, his mother asked if he wanted to take piano lessons from a lady down the street.

  “Sure,” he said. Mostly because several of his good friends were taking them from her, but I also felt a tugging in my soul that this was something important for me to do.

  So, the boy began lessons and fell in love with music and the piano from the first day. He wanted to learn more and more as quickly as he could. If a kid could have a passion, well, piano music was mine. I also began to feel a stirring that I now recognize as God that music would become an important part of my life, but I did not fully realize the stirring, nor did I recognize fully the calling.

  As the years progressed, the young guy became a church pianist at a church in Decatur when he was 14-years old and, except for his four years of college, has been playing ever since.

  The boy learned and accepted Christ into his life when he was 12, and knew he needed to follow the teachings of God and be involved in the local church and that involvement seemed to center around music. Then, at 18 years old, on top of a mountain in Alabama for a youth retreat, he felt the call of God to a life of ministry. A ministry of music, but of ministry wherever needed. He kind of forgot about it off and on, but came back to that calling as he grew up.

  There were a lot (a LOT) of stumbles along the way, but trying to follow God’s leadership, the boy (now a man) finds himself as Minister of Music in a local church and feels God’s presence like never before. As Phoebe on the television show says, “I have found my bliss.”

  There is no age limit to having a call from God. I wasn’t totally serious about it as a young boy or as a young man but, in recent years, I gave myself totally to that call and am blessed like never before. You may have an inner stirring that you feel is God, wanting you to do something for him. It may not be a ministerial role, but just helping out somewhere in your church … in the nursery, in the mission projects (local or foreign) … there are lots of organizations in our county who always need volunteers to help those less fortunate than we are … donating coats, gloves, etc. for homeless ministries. Don’t ever limit God in what He wants you to do. As the old gospel song says, “Little is much when God is in it.” And that is so true. God can use the smallest things for His work. Pray about where God can use you.

  And for today, this is the gospel according to Jimmy (the little boy).