"Don't Quit--Keep Playing"...

"I have heard the story told of a mother who, wishing to encourage her son's progress at the piano, bought tickets to a Paderewski performance. When the evening arrived, they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on the stage. Soon the mother found a friend to talk to, and the boy slipped away. At eight o'clock, the lights in the auditorium began to dim and the spotlights came on. Only then did they notice the boy up on the piano bench, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on the Steinway. His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy, "Don't quit; keep playing." Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filing in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side and improvised a delightful obligato. Together the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized." (as told by Ardeth Kapp) 

As everyone who has ever taken piano lessons (or any other sort of lessons) has heard, 'practice makes perfect.' There will be times that we mess up, that we hit the wrong note, that we feel discouraged and want to quit. At times such as those, remember that with Him all things are possible. We are told repeatedly in the Scriptures, by small and simple things great things come to pass. He will take our simple songs and turn them into masterpieces. All we have to do, is keep playing.

Let our souls be still so that we may hear the voice of our Father, gently and tenderly whisper to us, "Don't quit; keep playing." Then with all the love in the world, He puts His arms around us. And as those loving arms wrap around us, they lift us, they assist us, they make up the difference. They make us enough. They give us strength when we are weary. They steady us when we are afraid. They comfort us when we are sad. They make simple things, great. They make us more.

"For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."

Isaiah 41:13