God is SO faithful…even when we aren’t. And he is SO patient. God gave me this dream of writing and singing songs for Him about ten years ago (consciously, at least, although the dream was definitely alive in my heart as a child). The dream began to be “fleshed out” after great anguish and soul-searching regarding my “purpose in life.” Funny…the name of the softball team I played on for years sprouted from this desire for meaning. My brother and a few other friends still play for the team “Nil P.I.L.’s”. It stands for: No Purpose In Life”(!) It was an attempt at humor…but at the same time…profound.

Well…getting back to the music. While in the hospital in 1998 recuperating from a nasty bout with a ruptured appendix (which would have killed me 30 or 40 years earlier), I was reading Thomas Merton’s autobiography, “A Seven Storey Mountain.” That’s when I came across the famous monk’s account of his own appendicitis. I had been greatly attracted to Merton’s quest for spiritual meaning and understanding through contemplation…and so I quickly bonded with him even more. I felt as if this prolific author and spiritual master was personally prodding me to take some action in my spiritual journey. It was in this room at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati where I made up my mind that I would start pursuing this “crazy” dream that began a year earlier with a whisper in my heart to write and sing songs for the Lord.

Now…fast-forward ten years to 2008. Just recently I had the opportunity to go on a retreat at Bethany Spring…a wonderful place a mile down the road from the Abbey of Gethsemani. Of course, that’s where Merton lived most of his life. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting that monastery several times over the last few years to attend retreats with a group of friends. I’ve had the honor of standing at Merton’s grave to personally thank him for his inspiration. Bethany Spring is a beautifully renovated stately old farmhouse run by the Merton Institute…a tranquil home tucked in the rolling hills of Kentucky.

The man conducting the retreat, Jonathan Montaldo, surprised me by asking if I’d like to share some of my songs with the other retreatants after one of the sessions. I thank Jonathan for allowing me a grace-filled experience as I played and sang a couple of my songs and then we listened to a couple more from my CD titled, Listen to Your Heart. As the music filled the room…my eyes drifted up the wall behind the CD player to see a photo portrait of Merton himself…smiling…looking at me with a gaze that erased the era that separated us. It was as if he was saying, “See…amazing things happen when we listen to God.” What amazing adventure is our loving Creator asking you to begin?