Pleasant Evening in Evron

As it was rather cold this evening and the temperature was dropping to below freezing, I got out my beanie and gloves to wear outside while waiting on my ride to choir practice. Little did I know, Antoine, my usual driver did not show. It was a little frustrating to be outside in the freezing weather (-4 degrees Celsius, which translates to in the 20s Fahrenheit). I looked around to see if anyone else was going to meet me in front of the Chateau de Mayenne. Then, I looked over and saw a group going to Evron, in a full car. And then I saw an older man (60 years old) in a red jacket, who came over to ask if I was waiting to go to Evron. I said yes and that I was waiting on Antoine to take me. I waited with the older gentleman, but Antoine did not arrive, so this gentleman kindly took me to Evron. His name was Bernard and he hailed from Lille but had a house in Mayenne. Barnard was very kind, showed an interest in classical music, and was enjoyable company on the ride to the Ecole de Musique. See there, not all French people are rude and unfriendly, contrary to popular belief. In fact, many people are kind, helpful, and hospitable. Bernard was generous to offer help and even stayed at the rehearsal for two hours just to take me back. The rehearsal was great tonight as well. We went through the entire Schubert mass and it's beautiful. I still need to listen to the entire thing on Naxos Music Library. Anyway, after the rehearsal, I left with Bernard. I am very thankful to have met Bernard. He's a great person to talk to. We together talked about the power of music to channel negative emotions, to bring out the best in people, and to bring stress relief. It's great to share these things with a music lover, who although he doesn't play an instrument or read music, he can still appreciate the sounds of beautiful music. Surprise encounters are great. They show how much the Lord has a sense of humor and brings people into our lives for a reason, even though we may not see it on the surface. Look to the things unseen rather than seen. There, you find faith.