There’s a Hole

One of my secret joys is the music of Harry Belafonte. As a kid, I had a two album set of a live concert of his, and if memory severs, it was one my dad bought from Readers’ Digest. It was a well worn record because I listed to it so often.

Joining Belafonte in the concert were several guest performers, including Miriam Makeba (an African singer whose albums were banned by the South African government during apartheid she was exiled from her country). And another performer was Otetta, an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and human rights activist.

I even had the pleasure of seeing Belafonte in concert and hoped that Makeba and/or Otetta would join him in the concert that night. It wasn’t to be, but one of the most fun tracts from that live concert album was performed, the well know children’s song, “There’s a Hole in my Bucket.” I still laugh when I think of the exchange between Odetta and Belefonte in the middle of the song. Odetta, trying to talk the lazy Belafonte into fetching water says, “where there’s a will, there’s a way…” And Belafonte responding, “…you show me Will, and I’ll show him the way!”

Strange that I thought of that song when I came across this quote from C.S. Lewis this week, “There are two kinds of people: Those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’”

Strange too, that every story I can think of that involves a Genie or some other magical character granting wishes - that the wish somehow turns out all wrong. Henry’s life would have been much simpler and joyful if he’d just fixed the bucket and fetch the water. Maybe our lives would be much simpler and joyful if we just did God’s will.