you hear when one sense of ours dims another brightens
it was a season of "darkness" for me in that I couldn't really understand what was happening in my life... like I was there walking it out unable to see the why... and in that season, when listening to music, the violin started standing out to me
in no other season prior nor since has that happened... it occurred so often that I literally decided to take up the violin... I don't remember how I found my teacher but she taught in a building downtown St. Charles where I lived and taking lessons after work was something I quickly started to look forward to
I was amazed at how she could take the simple short measures she was teaching me each week and turn what sounded not so good coming from me and make it sound so beautiful... my hands knew what to do and my brain could see the notes to play but that didn't matter - the element of practice and time spent playing was clearly missing and that was the difference between the two of us
God gave a mini lesson of his own during that time (which by the way was the only season I ever picked up a violin)...
The heart of the matter is while both of us desired to play beautiful music from the notes on the page and our own hands - only one of us had the heart and ability to put in the time and practice it took to become the skillful violinist. And listening to her is all one needed to be truly blessed by the fruit of her efforts.
The violin is hard.
The living out of the Word of God, while not something we do in our own strength, is also hard.
Like I said at the start, my current season was dark and providing me plenty of opportunities to live out the love of Christ written in His Word. I realized that - just b/c the Word told me what to do and I knew how to do it - didn't mean it was an automatic fix for the situation. What also was needed was my heart in the matter. My heart to put in effort and to keep encouraging myself in the truth and then keep acting on it until I started to see not only more ease growing in me to keep applying it but then change in the actual circumstance.
A violin... in well-practiced hands, brings forth some of the most beautiful music. A life well-watered in the Word paired with a passionate heart and tenacious actions toward implementing those truths has found the trifecta for one potent sheet of music. Rarely the way we imagined but the Author of the Word doubles as the Composer of our lives and that duo gives perfect rest to the musicians playing with all their heart.
Psalm 100 A Song of Praise for the Lord's Faithfulness to His people.
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