Angels' Hands

It’s 74 degrees here today with a soft breeze under bright, clear and sunny skies, and the air is filled with the sound of birds chirping away. In short, it’s the kind of day that urges one to get outside, a prelude to spring. There is a brand new park not three houses down the street from me. So at 5 o’clock, I grabbed my little harp and headed for the green grass and fresh air, clear that such beautiful opportunities are not to be missed.

Bristling with folks also feeling the call of nature to get outdoors, the place was brimming with activity. One group of middle aged women did calisthenics (God love them) and counted off their sets in unison, the playground was covered with kids playing on the slide and monkey bars, and lots of solitary runners and walkers briskly made their way around the new jogging path. I found a quiet spot near some trees, tuned the harp and began playing.

Soon a little boy quietly crept up to the left of where I played and politely sat to listen. Within a song or two, there were six boys seated and listening attentively. A little bashful about having an audience, I began to chat with them as I played them songs. Before I knew it, they warmed up to me enough to play the harp themselves. One stood up to hold it and the others stood up to gather around him to play along. They plucked and poked very respectfully, finding parts to songs they had learned on other instruments, and they played original music. One announced that the new work he had just composed was in fact, “The Chinese Harp Song.” At one point I looked up over my left shoulder to watch them as I was seated beneath the raised harp, and what I saw I marveled at. Beneath a wide-open blue sky was a cluster of little hands gently and sweetly playing the harp. It was like an image from art. On the way home, I felt guided to share this with you along with the message to put your cares into the hands of the Angels. They are with us.