I had a pretty good Thanksgiving again this year. I love to make a turkey and my own home-made stuffing. This year I even went all out and stuffed the bird. Usually I make it on the side but what the heck, right? Turned out great. And my church has a terrific Thanksgiving Eve program too, which I wouldn't miss for the world. We have excellent music and two or three people get up and give their testimonies. This year I helped out with the music and when both people gave their testimonies, they asked if anyone else had anything add, a testimony of thanksgiving to give. So I stood up and picked up my guitar and actually used it to give a testimony about how God has been at work in my life. In a nutshell it went like this...

I have this old Fender Stratocaster that when I bought it was just barely playable. Then one day I decided to try to fix it myself and made it worse, so much so that it wasn't playable at all. For a long time I kept the guitar but thought I would probably have to throw it away. One day I took it to a guitar shop that kind of specializes in fixing guitars. The guy that works on them is indeed a wizard. I asked him if it would be worth it to fix it up or should I just throw it away. Well, not only did he tell me he could fix it but when he was done with it, it was a masterpiece. It took him a year because I had to have it all done a little at a time and because there was so much that had to be done. He had to replace the neck, the bridge, the pickups and wiring. And not only that but every part he replaced I told him to use only the best stuff, and of course we talked about what would be cool to use. I'll tell you what, I wouldn't sell that guitar for any amount of money, to me it is priceless. Well, my testimony was about how that guitar is just like what God has done in my life. He took a life that maybe a lot of people would have thought was useless and made it something good; priceless if you will. At least HE thinks it is priceless and I am only beginning to see the truth in that. That was the gist of my testimony.

Anyway, while I was giving my guitar testimony I looked up at the audience and noticed that a teenage boy who plays music with me and who I have tried very hard to kind of befriend was just cracking up laughing. In fact, he and the two boys he was sitting with were all laughing their butts off. Yes they were laughing at me. I know my testimony was kind of goofy and I was cracking a few jokes, but I wasn't being (or trying to be) all THAT funny. So I am sure they were laughing at me or at my expense, which kind of hurt and was a little embarressing. So although it has been bothering me since then I have been just telling myself that they are just kids and they have no idea the kind of crap that life can dish out. I mean, maybe I looked a little bit goofy to them but what I was saying was the absolute truth. There was a time when I wouldn't have given a red penny for my own life because it was nothing but a horrible alcoholic mess, but because of God I actually have a life. It might not be the coolest or greatest life to a lot of people, but at least it IS life, which is a lot to be thankful for. But it still hurts a little bit because this was a boy who I really like. Guess it's just one of those things a BL has to put up with. Teen boys...sheesh!!!