brother of mine

this summer i taught my pandas and kangaroos and incoming 1st graders (like 4-6 years old about, my classes at m.p.p.c. over the summer. m.p.p.c. = home church. i don't know who reads this blog so i don't know how much i have to explain), about Daniel. And how the king has a dream, and nobody knows what it means so Daniel prays for God to tell him what the dream meant. God tells him and when Daniel goes to the king he doesn't say "this is what you dream means" he says "I'm only telling you because there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and he revealed this mstery to me" (or something like that) and the lesson was: God wants us to tell other people what he does for us.

so i'm telling you this:

On Friday before classes (which start at 12) I went guitar shopping. Because I really miss playing here. And I went to a few places. I didn't want to spend a lot but I also didn't want like a log with some steel strings on it. I ended up getting this 55 pound (sorry I don't have that symbol on my keyboard) guitar that sounded OK. Other options were a 70 pound one... but I got a new guitar book so I went with a cheaper guitar. I went home and played for a while and it sounded like crap. It sounded twangy, not full like my seagull at home (seagull = guitar brand, i.e. the kind i have), I played songs I knew and they didn't sound right. I tuned it to itself (no tuner yet) and it sounded a bit better, but still unfortunate.

But it was too late to bring it back because I had to leave for London. So I left and I was like, "I'll return it when I get back." which I did today. Or rather, which I tried to do today. To make what could be a long story short, I walked down to the guitar shop with it and prayed, "God please give me the right words and strength" because I feel so awkward returning things and I knew this would be wierd to just say, "I don't like how it sounds."

I got in the store and was told that I couldn't return it. He proceeded to tell me I couldn't sell it back to him, that I wasn't in America anymore (he brought it up, i was like, "yes i'm aware..."), that no there was no written no-return policy, no he would not put one up for future customers, and this is now my problem. That makes it sound pretty one-sided, it wasn't. There was a pretty long back-and-forth because his reasons were like, "But what if someone just bought it to play for a weekend and make money then return it" and a lot of what if's, none of which were valid. But, after he told me all the reasons (none of which were valid in this situation) why I couldn't return it, he told me "there's no argument here". So I left.

I meant to stop by the grocery store when I went home but I couldn't because I was (still) carrying this guitar. And I was so angry at the guy at the store. I wasn't angry at anything I'd said, or hadn't said. I knew whatever the argument (or non-argument) he wouldn't have let me return it. But I was angry at him for being so stubborn and condescending. I stewed in that for about two or three blocks, but being angry and upset really sucks. And I didn't want to remain in it so i was like, "God please take my anger because I don't want it." I immediately felt better. For about 1 block.

I remembered I was still carrying around a crappy guitar which I couldn't return, and would only get like 20 pounds for if i sold it somewhere else. So I had a crappy guitar, and didn't want to invest in another one. I especially didn't want to invest in another one after the aforementioned incident. I was angry at the guy again, mad that I couldn't go to the grocery store, upset that I had a crappy guitar. So I prayed, "God please make this guitar good." That's the main problem, the quality of the guitar, so I prayed that God would make it sound good or somehow get me a new guitar and get rid of this one. Or something. I just didn't want to be in this situation, and expecially wanted this guitar that I had to sound better.

By this time I was back to my flat. I went up to my room, got a diet coke, and opened my guitar case. I know this is going to sound wacko or something, but my guitar sounded better! I played it and it didn't twang or make that wierd low noise when the strings aren't on just right. It sounded fuller, and just better! I might still change the strings (who knows how long they've been on there), but seriously you guys GOD HEALED MY GUITAR. did you know god can heal guitars? he can! my family's sending me my guitar stuff so I will actually be able to play on a GOOD guitar that God gave me (really. I bought a crappy guitar and God gave me a good one). I'm so happy and God is so good to me.

I live in a sea of blessings, I'm wrapped up in a duvet/comforter/blankie thing of God's goodness. I'm gonna write a lab report I feel so good.