In honor of "Joelle week" (who just turned 13!), here's something I learned from her when she was little, about playing beautiful music in life. I hope it encourages you as it encouraged me.
Making Music With the Master
Small brows furrowed in
concentration. Small fingers pressed
hard on guitar frets. Small thumbs
thrummed the strings.
And
music filled the room – awkward, off-key, clashing music. But to my mommy-ears, the sounds were
sweet. I smiled.
Bethany
and Joelle, my two young daughters, were working so hard to learn how to play
real music on their brand new kids’ guitars.
They sat on short stools in front of their dad, with their guitars on
their laps and their fingers poised over the strings.
Bryan
held his own guitar (adult-sized, of course) and strummed the chord again. A perfect C warbled from his instrument. He paused.
“See, like that.” The sound died
away. “Now you try.” He placed the girls’ fingers on the proper
frets one more time.
The
girls studied Daddy’s fingers. They
glanced at their own, then looked at his again.
Then, they took deep breaths, and strummed.
Better. Not good, but at least the sound didn’t leave
my hair standing on end.
Bryan
adjusted their fingers again. First
Joelle’s, then Bethany’s. “Try not to
push down the other strings.”
Bethany
nodded and grinned. “Okay, Daddy.” She leaned forward.
Joelle
stuck out her tongue to focus.
I
hurried for the camera.
They
tried it yet again – studying the way Daddy did it, checking their own fingers,
and playing the note. Studying,
checking, playing. Boldly, joyfully,
with Daddy’s help.
It
wasn’t perfect, but each time, the sound improved. By the end, their fingers were dented by the
strings, their picks were well worn, and they had almost learned to produce a
decent C chord.
But
most importantly, they were happy.
Glowing. Why? Because they were playing guitar, just like
Daddy.
As
I stood by and clicked pictures, I was reminded of how God, my father, asks me
to imitate Him too. 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV), says “But
just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am
holy.’” And in Matthew 11:29 (NIV),
we’re told to, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble
in heart . . .”
I’m
called to be like Him, to learn from Him.
Doing that, I’ve come to realize, isn’t a whole lot different from my
girls learning to play guitar. As God
makes beautiful music, He asks me to join in – to try. And though my fingers may be still a little
small, and I might bump the wrong strings, still what’s important is that I
study the way my Daddy does it and try to do the same myself. Study, check, play. Boldly, joyfully, and with my Father in
heaven’s help.
It
doesn’t matter if my music isn’t always perfect. What matters is that I watch, learn, and try
again. That I practice using my instruments
like God uses His. The Bible, circumstances in life, popular culture,
off-the-cuff comments by acquaintances, friends, or family – how does God make
music from these instruments? How does
He work in people’s lives? And how can I
make music with those same instruments?
The
only way to know is to study the Master.
Study the gospels. How did Jesus
use scripture, culture, circumstances, comments, in the gospel accounts? How does God work in my own life? In the lives of the people I know? We must study, watch, learn, and play.
God
is making music all around us. If we pay
attention, we can make music too. It may
not be perfect. It may a little off-key,
a little awkward. But if we practice and
watch the master musician – if we allow him to move our fingers along the
frets, we too can play the notes of heaven, and bring beautiful music into the
lives of those around us.
So,
let us play. Joyfully, boldly, with our
gaze fixed on the Master who teaches us the proper chords.
