Dorothy Day & A Guitar

So Dorothy Day is famous for saying: if you have two coats, you've stolen one from the poor (my paraphrase). A few months ago I was getting ready to move here to St. Paul and I learned that my friends Tim and Laurie Thornton (the blackthorn project) was looking for a guitar to take to Peru. When they do these trips as artist-missionaries they like to take instruments that people have donated so that they can leave the instruments with budding worship leaders and songwriters who will then even further bless the communities of faith there. I've had a great Takemine guitar in my closet that I acquired under well sketchy circumstances. I'll explain.

A former roommate of mine had lost his driver's license and in a less than thought through plan he pawned his bike and this guitar. He needed them both back and time was running out so I gave him $150.00 for this guitar. I have no idea what he used that pawn money for and I wasn't about to ask. Since then I got a new guitar and so have this extra one has just been ridiculous so when the Thorntons needed a guitar to bring to Peru, I was happy to give away this beauty.


This morning I got an email from Tim Thornton telling my about Jeremias (Jeremiah):

Tim, this guy, jeremias ( jeremiah) is just faithful. He's holding two guitars because he received the one he's been using from Ben and robin a year and a half ago on our last visit. Well he's been using it every day, leading worship and writing songs. They have written one or two that their congregation loves to sing together. Well one of my strings broke so I played the guitar he has been using, and I was amazed that he was able to do as much as he's done with it. That was a fine starter guitar but while I led worship with his beater instrument, the Lord impressed it upon me that he really needed an upgrade, so after the service I said, "what does God do when a man is faithful with what is put under his care?"Jeremias said "He enlarges it." I showed him the guitar and said, "well there is your increase. Now you get to bless someone else with the one you've been playing." He couldn't believe it. I also gave him a floor tuner and your cable. I know he's going to be able to do so much more with a guitar that keeps it's tune and sounds so good. Thanks Tim for giving him a gift of quality that is more than a token, but an upgrade for a faithful musician. I'm really excited that he can play something that will inspire and not distract him. He's really using his music to serve the body, and i think it blessed his soul too because of that principle that God rewards faithfulness, and that he now gets not only to receive, but to give too. As you pray for him, you can remember that his wife has taken the kids and left him and that's pretty tough on him. You can ask for them
to be restored to him and to a healthy life and to the lord.