It's A Wonderful Life!

I praise God for the many friends and family whom God has brought through my life!!  I thank the Holy Spirit for pouring Himself through me to practice the violin so that I may play for family, friends and my new friends whom are so very precious and patient!!!

There are so many lessons Christ has taught me through each one that has traveled through my life...I am so thankful I am able to give back, or "pay it forward" in many ways...one of which is the violin.

Since July, I've only been practicing with one other musician...my teacher.  It has been very difficult for him as while we are playing, I tune my notes to his, which I know are right.  I want to play beautifully like him...I don't want to play out of tune.  Yet when I am home practicing....I have no sound to compare myself with.....but that doesn't stop me.  I still keep trying.  The Lord has blessed my obedience....as people can tell which song I am playing....and as I play alone....it sounds pretty good.

Yet, as I said...God brings people into my life so that I can learn....and because my teacher is trying so very hard for me to learn to play the sharps, flats and naturals as I continue to play to the beat I want...ignoring that part of the lesson...because I'm having so much fun playing the songs that sound "ok" to me.  Little did I realize I was training myself to play.....out of tune.

However, this last Friday a dear friend and excellent pianist joined me as I was to perform.  GULP!!! 

I've never had a concert with another musician since high school!!!  As my breathing quickened, a piano was rolled into place.  I set my music on the piano and opened the music book as my hands must have shook. 

As I began to read a short story...a previous blog called "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" I heard soft notes genteelly gliding across the keys. Soon these tiny white flakes covered my nerves as I continued to read to the end. 

A bit confidently I picked up my bow and began to play the notes before me.  It was fun!  And going well, until my eyes grew tired and I became unsure of the notes I was seeing.  Still,  I continued to play...because so many times  before I would stop and start over...which was soo embarrassing!!

Yet, adlibbing the music just seemed to snowball as my confidence plunged into a spiral decent quickly!  What did my friend think?  Would he ever want to accompany me again?  I didn't think so....I felt like Jimmy Stewart in "It's a wonderful life" who thought he let everyone down.

I love the end of that movie....because someone had gone around to encourage all the friends and family to encourage Jimmy....which is what my dear friend did.  Instead of playing through the music, praying it would end soon, he asks if my husband, who has a beautiful voice, could lead everyone in singing the words as we played.

OOoohhhhHHH!!!  God is such a sweetheart!!!  As I heard everyone start to sing...my ice cold worries and thoughts melted away...there wasn't any room for doubt as I heard joy pouring through voices.

In the same way....how often have I ....how often will I see the enemy's lies and believe them?  Oh, that I learn to be a team player so that we may all rejoice, for definitely "It's a wonderful life"!!