What a savior
What a Savior!
I have experienced twelve wonderful years of sharing peace and healing through
music with the sounds of my harp, and throughout those years, I have met so many
amazing people who share the kindest, most uplifting sentiments. These words pour
strength and joy into my soul while living into a calling that, while very rewarding most
days, can be extremely difficult at other times. To these people, I share my most
sincere gratitude.
Then there are others who have jokes. Lots and lots of jokes.
“You are mighty sweet looking to be a grim reaper.”
“Where do you keep your sickle?”
“You’re not bringing that harp in my room. I know what’s coming when you’re around.”
These jokesters are usually my closest friends. Funny friends, aren’t they? I’ve
told them they need new material, but they just keep “harping” on it…yeah, I know, not
my best punch line. Regardless, light humor can bring about smiles on the toughest of
days, I am thankful for it whenever it comes.
One of these dear friends with jokes is Stephen Arscott. Many of you local to
Sumter know Stephen as the owner of Sumter Lighting and Home. However, I know him
as a true confidant, a brother in Christ, a truth-teller, the big brother I never had, and a
supporter of The Sounds of Grace. And one of the most amazing things about the
support he and his dear wife, Melissa, have given to The Sounds of Grace is that they
had never seen the ministry in action, yet continued to support in faith how God was
using my harp to deliver something modern medicine could not. At least not until
Melissa became ill and I took my small hospital harp to visit them. Yet, even then, I
believe Stephen did not fully understand what the Lord could do through the strings of a
harp until he hopped in the car with me for a special visit to the Medical University of
South Carolina in Charleston on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 to visit his very close
friend Joe Perry.
Joe and Cathy Perry had been friends with Stephen and Melissa for some time
and I knew Cathy from the time our daughters were in gymnastics. The friendship
Melissa and Stephen had with Joe and Cathy developed mostly through their time at
Church of the Holy Comforter, which is where Curt and I came to know the Perry’s well,
too. Joe was always a quiet man, but when he shared words, you heard him and
wanted to listen.
Joe began having trouble breathing on a family vacation in July of 2021. After
extensive testing in September, he was sent directly to the hospital where he spent five
days before coming home on oxygen with a diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
And, over the next two years, Joe and Cathy would spend the majority of their time in
and out of MUSC while living most of their days in Charleston away from the majority of
their friends and family.
Despite receiving a much-anticipated lung transplant, Joe’s health would
continue to decline. His final admittance to MUSC was in July of 2023 where he would
live out the remainder of his life.
Stephen approached me on a Sunday morning at church and asked about the
possibility of going to visit Joe with the harp. That was one of the easiest “yes’s” I had
ever responded with, and we then planned our trip for the upcoming Wednesday
morning.
We loaded up the harp early that morning and began the trip to Charleston, but
not before making a very important stop at the Perry’s house to retrieve their wedding
album for Cathy. The two-hour trip went by so quickly while listening to stories Stephen
shared of Joe and Cathy and having a few laughs at all of the hair-do’s and wardrobe
choices in the album.
When we arrived at MUSC, we unloaded the harp and began the journey to Joe’s
floor. Stephen was not prepared for the looks and comments that came my way when
driving a harp around the hospital. He just laughed and tried not to chime in with his
usual “harp” jokes he jabs at me. Once we arrived at the nurses’ station outside of
Joe’s room, I tucked my covers away and began to tune, while Stephen went to visit
Cathy and let her know we had arrived. As soon as the sounds from my strings began
to resonate down the hall, heads popped out of doors and nurses came to see what
was getting ready to take place. Within minutes, we walked toward Joe’s door and
positioned the harp beside his bed.
Joe and Cathy’s children, Anna and Michael, were also in the room with us. Joe
was quiet, as it took a lot of energy for him to speak, so very few words could be
shared. I leaned in and told Joe I was just going to provide some music to help fill the
room and invite the Holy Spirit to come in and sit beside him. He closed his eyes and
seemed to be content with the thought of such a presence.
With Joe lying motionless in his bed, Cathy and her children were resting in
chairs beside him and close to the window. As the music filled the room, all eyes
seemed to rest on my fingers. Within a few seconds, the sounds of the harp and the
presence of the Holy Spirit overcame anything that my fingers were doing. While
playing “It Is Well,” Stephen joined in with beautiful harmonies that encouraged Cathy to
join in, even if only to be able to move her mouth in the smallest of motions. While
moving into the chorus, I realized that there were more voices in addition to Stephen’s
who were adding multiple harmonies. I looked behind me to find two music therapists
who had come by to see what was happening in Joe’s room. Their voices added
angelic sounds to the room, as well as a beautiful spirit that provided a peace over all of
us.
As I began the next selection to share with Joe, I looked at Stephen and just
whispered for him to follow along. However, there was another male voice that began
to make a presence in the room. Joe was singing. His voice was faint, but his lips were
moving, and he was praising the name of Jesus:
“And, He walks with me and He talks with me
and, He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share as we tarry there
none other has ever known.”
And, we witnessed the miracle of Joe having the strength to sing, Cathy had the
most beautiful, yet simple and peaceful, smile on her face, as his daughter, Anna, was
wiping tears away. Yet, what a blessing it was for everyone in that room to see Joe in a
moment of peace and joy with a song in his heart and on his lips.
I am sure that Cathy and her children, as well as the music therapists, all have
their own version of what happened in the room that day, but this is a simple account of
how I witnessed the events. Once in the car, I asked Stephen if he imagined things
would go this way with our visit. He was still for a moment, then shared that he will
never forget truly realizing how the Lord uses The Sounds of Grace to provide peace
and healing in a way that only music can provide.
Four days later, on Sunday, September 24, 2023, Joe Perry died at MUSC and
entered eternity with Jesus Christ. To God be ALL the glory for the life of Joe Perry and
the strong commitment Cathy provided throughout his journey over those last two years
of his life. What a man and what a marriage! And, as we welcome this Christmas
season, may we all proclaim, “What a Savior!”