On Sunday mornings I like to watch Dr. Charles Stanley while I eat breakfast. This week he mentioned that God says, “Do not fret,” three times in Psalm 37. I had to check it. He was right. This was new to me, although I did know that in the Bible God says, “Do not be afraid,” 365 times, one for each day of the year! Remember too that Jesus said, “Even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:30). Nowadays is the opportune time to hear and rely on God’s loving assurances and trust him.

God taught me this lesson recently. Every Sunday afternoon I played the piano in the Notre Dame Village common living room for the residents. The Jennings staff isn’t here on weekends, so activities are not scheduled…especially now with the pandemic restrictions. My “concerts” were a reason for the residents to come out of their apartments and be with other people. I played a variety of pieces, including classical and Broadway songs, but they especially liked to guess the titles of the golden oldie songs. Some of the cooks in the nearby kitchen too said they enjoyed the live music. The piano was also used for a Christmas sing-a-long, a talent show, and a piano recital that drew an audience of 170 people.

Suddenly a few weeks ago, the grand piano was moved to the Notre Dame Provincial Center. Although this afforded me free Sunday afternoons, I felt bad for the residents who missed the piano. Then last week the Jennings activity director asked if I would evaluate two pianos whose owners wished to donate them to the Village. One piano was better because it had a cover for the keys, but I knew the owner of the other piano would be very disappointed to hear, “No, thank you,” because it is difficult to dispose of a piano. That night it occurred to me that he might be willing to donate to me for my apartment where I could practice before I performed for an audience. Not only did he agree to this, but he delivered it free of charge!

A bonus: Last Sunday morning I searched Amazon for a lamp for the top of the piano but couldn’t find the kind I had in mind. That afternoon I returned to the house of the better piano to pick up some donated walkers. As soon as I got out of the car, the woman came toward me carrying a lamp and said, “Could you use this?” It was perfect!

The moral of the story is sometimes when things look grim, God is working out a surprise. We just need to trust and wait patiently. After all, “with the Lord . . . a thousand years are like one day” (2 Peter 3:8). I never dreamed of having a piano in my apartment. The other one will be delivered to the Village any day now.God is good!

Here are a few other trust-building Scripture verses to ponder:

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” (Psalm 37:5)

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God.” (Romans 8:28)

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

• When has something you considered bad luck turned out to be even better than you ever expected?