“I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
In life there are often situations we cannot understand. We think we know which way life is heading and then whoosh! – everything changes. However, God works in mysterious ways, and chooses when to shed light on our situation.
Many people don’t know that I play french horn professionally in the OKC metro area. I have undergraduate and graduate degrees in brass performance, and I actively practice, teach, and play in the area. It is one of the most rewarding things for me in this life. And why do I play it? Well, that goes back to 5th grade band with Mr. Dooley in Kahoka, Missouri.
For one year, my family lived in the northeast corner of Missouri. We have a farm there that has been in our family for over 100 years. My father needed to spend the greater part of a year in Missouri working on the property and meeting with farmers who were helping us clear forest and brush to expand the available farm land. So, he chose to move our family from central Florida up to Missouri for one year.
Next thing we know, we are living in a mobile home out in the woods. We trudged through the thickest mud you’ve ever seen, waited out a blizzard, dealt with mice, lost our first pet, and my brother and I didn’t know any kids in school. What a tough year!
But, the best part of that year was 5th grade beginning band. I wanted to play trumpet, but my mom said I should play, “that pretty, curly instrument,” pointing to the french horn. Normally, band directors don’t let students begin on such a tough instrument, but since I had taken piano for a few years already, Mr. Dooley was willing to make an exception.
I excelled at the horn. I simply loved playing it, and I still do. When it was time to apply for college, studying music was the only thing that made sense. After I finished my undergrad at Florida State, I was accepted for graduate studies in Norman, OK, at OU. I met Candace Hawkins, got married at St. Luke’s, and the rest is history!
We don’t know what our future holds, and we can’t pretend to know in what direction we will head. Sometimes we are presented with difficult situations, but they can lead to unexpected, new possibilities. With kindness from people like Mr. Dooley, we can experience great joy – even during tough times.
– Logan Fish, Edmond Campus Director of Hospitality
