I met Gilbert Morris last night. We were asked to sing at a little church on the other side of the state. We arrived and set up and just before the service a friendly older man carried a guitar up to the front of the church and set it down. He turned and introduced himself to us. He said his name was Gilbert Morris. I thought that was interesting because there is a fairly well-known Christian author with the same name.
We were introduced and sang to a full church. They sang some hymns and then asked us to come back and sing again toward the end of the hour. When we were done the pastor closed the service and we all went downstairs for refreshments. It was nice.
While we were eating it occurred to me that Gilbert Morris was never asked to sing. While he was making his way through the line I said; “Mr. Morris, you brought your guitar but you didn’t sing.”
He said; “O, I didn’t know we were going to have special guests tonight. They can hear me any time.”
“But we can’t,” I said, “and we are not leaving here until we hear you sing.”
Before we left our family and the pastor and a few others stood around the auditorium and Gilbert Morris sing and played his guitar for us. He sang; “I Will Meet You In the Rapture.” When he finished I asked him to sing; “The Far-Side Banks of Jordon.” Our family sang with him on the chorus. It was a sweet time.
I’ve never met the Gilbert Morris who writes books, but I have met the Gilbert Morris who drives a truck out of Coopersville, Michigan. He has a nice voice and plays a decent guitar if you ask him nice. We all agreed it was a blessing to hear him sing. I said; “You have a nice voice and I can tell you really mean what you sing.”
He said, “It makes all the difference in the world when your song comes from your heart.”
I thought about that today and I talked with the Lord early this morning and asked him to help me “Serve the Lord with gladness” today and “Come before his presence with singing.”
Ken Pierpont
Riverfront Character Inn
Flint, Michigan
January 30, 2006
This is Gilbert Morris:
https://www.facebook.com/gilbert.morris.35/videos/vb.100003325553820/1185751668212340/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab