Birmingham April 2018 “Dock of the Bay two”
01/04/18 04:07
I return to the UK for the summer to check that our flat is still in one piece after the cold winter months. Malaysia doesn't have four seasons, only two, the wet season and the less wet season or at least that's how I see it. Whereas the UK definitely has four and I'm back for two of them. Whilst here I invite my brother and his wife round for lunch at the local Cafe Rouge to celebrate my birthday. I probably don't see him more than once a year now but when our parents were alive we would meet up at their house on a regular basis. I enjoy the conversation as they have three grown up children and lots of news for me to catch up on. For my part I tend not to discuss too many of the church events we do as I know they are somewhat skeptical about the whole thing. I have no wish to fall out with them, quite the opposite, so our conversation meanders on until I mention “Dock of the Bay”.
I like to tell this tale (see Dec 2017) to people as an example of the amazing coincidences that happen in our lives if we are on the lookout for them. As my brother and wife are only a little younger than me they know the song whereas this tale tends to lose some of its impact when I have to explain what the song is. But I don't have that problem today and I am in full flow with how the musicians started to play this song as the first one in their set when I realise that my brother's wife is dumbstruck. I stop and she says “Can you hear that? They have just started to play 'Dock of the Bay' in the restaurant”. She is amazed and confused both at the same time. Me, well I am laughing inside, but serious on the outside. I say something like “Wow, our Lord's doing the same again” and tell a few more tales about the coincidences that I have experienced in my life.
What makes this a little more odd is that Dock of the Bay is a song. What I have only heard before in Cafe Rouge and similar places is background 'soft' music, usually light jazz or piano. It isn't there to entertain but more to put some background sound into the room so individual conversations are not so noticeable. The use of a song was in itself unusual and this was the only song played in the hour we were sitting and having our meal, the rest of the time only music was being played. After we split up and headed back to our respective homes I gave the matter more thought. When this coincidence happened in Australia last year I had assumed I was being reminded to write this blog but maybe I was wrong. What if it was designed to be a story that I would recount to others, my brother and his wife in particular, to sow the seed in their minds that maybe God does exist after all? Well I sowed the seed and we shall see if it grows over time. In the meantime I'll be sittin' and watchin' what happens.
I like to tell this tale (see Dec 2017) to people as an example of the amazing coincidences that happen in our lives if we are on the lookout for them. As my brother and wife are only a little younger than me they know the song whereas this tale tends to lose some of its impact when I have to explain what the song is. But I don't have that problem today and I am in full flow with how the musicians started to play this song as the first one in their set when I realise that my brother's wife is dumbstruck. I stop and she says “Can you hear that? They have just started to play 'Dock of the Bay' in the restaurant”. She is amazed and confused both at the same time. Me, well I am laughing inside, but serious on the outside. I say something like “Wow, our Lord's doing the same again” and tell a few more tales about the coincidences that I have experienced in my life.
What makes this a little more odd is that Dock of the Bay is a song. What I have only heard before in Cafe Rouge and similar places is background 'soft' music, usually light jazz or piano. It isn't there to entertain but more to put some background sound into the room so individual conversations are not so noticeable. The use of a song was in itself unusual and this was the only song played in the hour we were sitting and having our meal, the rest of the time only music was being played. After we split up and headed back to our respective homes I gave the matter more thought. When this coincidence happened in Australia last year I had assumed I was being reminded to write this blog but maybe I was wrong. What if it was designed to be a story that I would recount to others, my brother and his wife in particular, to sow the seed in their minds that maybe God does exist after all? Well I sowed the seed and we shall see if it grows over time. In the meantime I'll be sittin' and watchin' what happens.