Not Quite the Grand Ole Opry
by Malc
Elvis has appeared there, Dolly Parton has appeared there ... and Malc & Sue have appeared there.
It was 2002 and Sue and I were on a coach tour of the Southern States of America. We had stood in the Sun Studios where Elvis had first recorded and now we had arrived at the famous Ryman Auditorium - long-time home of the Grand Ole Opry.
It's an amazing theatre with fantastic acoustics and a completely unobstructed view of the stage from any seat in the house.
The routine for the tourists is to stand on the stage, hold the guitar, pretend to play and someone takes the photograph. Well, we were on holiday - we were tourists, so let's do the tourist thing.
My turn came to climb the stage. I picked up the guitar..and hey it was actually in tune and playable. I don't suppose the majority of those who had picked it up before me even knew if it was in tune. They would just grab it and hold it awkwardly and pose for the picture. But I knew.
I strummed a few chords and then a voice from the back of the theatre (Hank, our tour guide) came booming out :
"You gotta play something!"
Now I don't need much to encourage me to sing at the best of times - but what a golden opportunity! I called down to Sue who was in the front of the theatre with the camera: "Hey Sue come on up here."
Sue came up onto the stage and after a quick intro, we were singing -
"It is no secret, what God can do *
What He's done for others - He'll do for you.
With arms wide open - He'll pardon you
It is no secret, what God can do."
Well, you would have thought Elvis had just walked on stage!
There was a huge round of applause as the theatre full of tourists let out a rousing cheer.
From that time on everybody on our tour coach wanted to talk to us. It had a real impact on a lot of people. I don't mean the marvelously 'talented' couple who sang on the stage - I mean the words of that wonderful song. God really spoke to the hearts of people through that song.
And it is so true and it is no secret that God wants to do something in the lives of all who will receive Him. He wants to pardon them and He stands waiting, with His arms wide open to receive all who will trust Him.
We were able to share with a number of people after that time, about our Christian faith, how God had made a difference in our lives and He was glorified as we did.
We even heard from Hank about his good friend who was a Christian Minister at a Church. (Hank had seemed a pretty un-godly man up to this point) and we just praised God for the opportunity to witness for Him.
We have not had too many invitations to sing again at the Ryman, (well, none, in fact), but we will continue to sing of God's grace and love for us and we will continue to share with others, whenever we have the opportunity, about God's love for us all.
* Written by Stuart Hamblen.