One Note At A Time

Playing the piano is a great way for me to relax. Creating different renditions of traditional Christian songs, is a favorite pastime of mine. About a week ago, I was needing a way to relax from a hard day’s work, so I went to the piano and sat down to play. I was enjoying myself quite well, playing those songs, when all of a sudden, I noticed someone standing next to me as I played. It was my little daughter, who is about 5 years old. As I continued to play, a thought crossed my mind: “Sure, I can play the piano, but what about my children? What good is it, if I have the ability to play something this enjoyable and keep it to myself.” Right then and there an idea came to my mind. “I will teach my little girl how to play the piano!” As I began to think of a song to teach her to play the realization hit me that I would have to refine the song down to it’s basic structure of one note at a time, and not only that, but I would have to guide her hand as to which key she should play first. Gently taking her hand, I began to move it to the different notes of the song: Jesus Loves Me. After helping her play it, I decided that a good way for me to teach her the song would be for her to hear the parts of the song first. I began by playing the first few notes of the song, and then asked her to repeat them. This was no easy task for her. She struggled time and again to even play three or four notes consecutively. After a while she was able to repeat those three or four notes, and I was so overjoyed! At that moment I began to realize that I was being taught the song Jesus Loves Me too!. Even though I could learn it on the piano, how was I doing at learning to follow Jesus? Not well at all. I had blown it here, and I had blown it there. It is kind of overwhelming to think about it. Yet the life He lived is so much like a song. Each phrase and stanza packed with meaning and painstaking suffering and self-denial. How can we learn? The same way my little girl did. By listening to Jesus Word, and looking at Him and following Him. Our efforts are small but His determination to teach us is great! Don't be discouraged friend, if you make a mistake or two or trillion along the way. Jesus will teach you to succeed! Keep on going! Keep on learning. This reminds me of some Bible verses found in Hebrews 2:9-11, which say:

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,