Serving Through Song: A Resident Story

WRITTEN BY: THERESA BISHOP, ELIM CONNECTION CONTRIBUTOR

Theresa, Elim Connection contributor, has been focusing on residents whose hobbies go beyond the enjoyment it brings to oneself. This time she featured hobbies related to the gift of music through the eyes and ears of one of our residents, Brix Hansen.

“In February of 1986, I endured a serious head injury while working at my construction site. Waking from a coma after 13 hours, I was told I was paralyzed on my left side, had several broken ribs, punctured lungs, a shattered wrist and a paralyzed right eye. I was blessed by having many people praying for me and was able to go home after 10 days and returned to work after just seven months. Though I was told that my wrist and eye would not recover, the Lord healed me! Since the accident, music became an even deeper expression of my gratitude to God.”

In 2012 Brix moved to Elim. Since then, he’s attended a weekly Wednesday coffee time and monthly socials where he really enjoys the company of the other men that attend. “Because many of us are getting hard of hearing, our visits are getting louder and louder; the men blame the women and vice versa! All in jest of course, but we were grateful when a resident contributed a
speaker system.”

“After a few months of getting together, I felt like something was missing and suggested that we include singing as part of our agenda. I wanted to express our faith by singing Christian songs that speak to the soul. I’m thankful that each week I can share my love of music with ‘my Atlin family’ by choosing familiar music to share. During the week I choose a song and print it off in a font we can all read and a copy of the song is placed by each cup so all can take part. Since we have no piano, it’s important that I start the song in the right key, so I practice throughout the week.”

“Through the hardships in my life, Christian songs have lifted me; my prayer is that the songs we sing together will bless and lift each other up in a similar way.”