Tuesday, December 30, 2003

The Music Teacher

"I will always be here with you, so don't worry. I see you, and you will be like me when you reach there. I will guide you as you go along."

You guide me along gently. You've been there before. You know my innermost thoughts; You know how I feel. And most of the time I think I'm right, so when You tell me I'm wrong, I feel frustrated and thrown off. Most of the time I think there are other better things worth doing, so I scurry off to watch TV, eat, or play computer. But I always come running back to You because those things are meaningless and devoid of purpose. You beckon to me to spend time with You as You guide me along in my song gently. I play lots of wrong notes, and I get frustrated, but You encourage me continuously, still loving me, and never failing to pick me up. Sometimes You even play along with me. You are delighted with me; at the progress I have made since the very first bar, the very first note, the very first time I sat down. And when I finally finish the whole song, You will be there with me, with a smile on Your face, saying "I love you."

Thank You for the piano lesson.
----------------------------------------------------

The piece of short writing is a dialogue, a psalm from my heart to God. I was teaching my littlest sister a piece today, feeling rather ashamed because I hadn't taught her earlier when I was supposed to. Seeing her getting frustrated, shaking her head, even to the point of crying, made me think of how I used to be like that at my piano teacher's, always fumbling with the notes, struggling hard. Humbled, I tried to teach her from what I had experienced, and knowing that it was hard for her like it was hard for me, I tried to be gentle and loving. And then, as she took a break, I heard this voice talking to my heart, in a delicate whisper,
""I will always be here with you, so don't worry. I see you, and you will be like me when you reach there. I will guide you as you go along."
At first I thought it was some sort of unspoken thought to my sister, to encourage her. But later on I realised (as I sat down to reflect) that God had answered my prayer. I had told him that I longed to be able to hear from Him, an answer, even a tiny voice. And He did.
And then I kept thinking how similar this piano lesson was to my walk with God. How He was always perfect, as He knew me (He created me!) and surely knew what was good for me. How I always struggled not to sin, but always failed, and how He always guided me along, slowly and surely. How even when I cried, I wept, and felt so doubtful and frustrated, He was always there to encourage me.
If this were the case, then the past six months has been God trying to get me to trust Him, approach Him, and sit down on the piano chair. Then I would also be trying out my first few notes of the piece, how impossible it was not to make mistakes, and how He always taught me. Sometimes He brings me back to the beginning to make sure I have laid the proper, solid foundation. Sometimes there are scales to drill into my head, so that I would be sure. But He never fails.

Matt. 28:20 "...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
John 14:26 "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. "
Psalm 139:3-4
"You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD .
v. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. "

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home