Southern Gospel Music

Well, I had a first the other day. As most of you know, I still work as a painter and paperhanger. I just do this because Susan likes to eat, and I like to keep her happy.

In the nearly forty years (I started as a ne'er baby working with my Dad), I have always played my favorite music as I worked. Of course that is Southern Gospel Music.

I have never, I repeat never had anyone complain about the music I play. As a matter of fact, the comments usually go something like, "Oh that music is so soothing", or "That music is so pretty", but no one has ever complained. That is until last week.

Let me first say that when I am working in an empty house or apartment, I always leave the music on, so as to discourage any burglars or vandals. I've never had anything broken in to, so I guess it works. Anyway, back to my story. As usualy, I left the radio on, and as usual I left it on Solid Gospel. When I got to the job the next morning, there was a note awaiting me from the young lady in the next apartment. She politely told me that she didn't appreciate my leaving the music on all night, as the walls are paper thin in the apartment. Ooops, that was my first mistake. Secondly, she told me that she was NOT a Christian and and did not like the Gospel music being played.

No comes the good part. She said that the music coming from Solid Gospel kept her up all night, and when she did finally get to sleep, she kept having nightmares.

Now that is a first for me. I have never been told that Southern Gospel caused nightmares. I promptly went to her apartment a apologized for my mistake of leaving the music on all night.

I am wondering what song might have given her the nightmare? Do you think it might have been Triumphant Quartet's "Don't Let The Sandals Fool Ya", or maybe Lauren Talley was singing "His Life For Mine"? Do you suppose they played the Whisnants singing "Even In The Valley"? Just maybe the Hoppers came on with "Jerusalem". The more I think about this, maybe Solid Gospel decided to play the Booth Brothers "The Blind Man Saw It All". Surely it couldn't have been the Florida Boys "Sing Your Blues Away".

I have finally come to the conclusion that the walls are paper thin, after hearing a whole conversation that she had on the phone while in her apartment, and I was working in the kitchen. So now that I know the problem, I haven't left my music on. I have also come to the conclusion that the "music" was bothering her, because the mesasge of the songs were bringing conviction to her. For this I do not apologize. I am prooud that the music I was playing had enough message to it that it touch her heart. Like it or not, she has heard some form of the Gospel.