Hitting the Wrong Notes
Dear Girlfriends,
The year was circa 1970. And I'll never forget this particular spring recital.
It was warm and muggy (and a bit smelly) in the old high school auditorium. There were about 50 of us in Ms. Hester's class (I'd moved on from Aunt 'Cil's tutelage) and the recital seemed to last 4-EVER. I was bored out of my gourd.
About three-quarters into the event, a little boy, maybe ten years old or so, sat down at the piano and began to play with tremendous energy and passion. I was in awe. I didn't know this kid, but I certainly looked forward to congratulating him for a fine performance over cookies and punch.
But then, all of sudden he just stopped playing. Right in the middle of a measure - he stopped and put his hands in his lap. Finally, he reached up for his sheet music and turned it 180 degrees. His music was UPSIDE DOWN. Well, the audience roared with laughter - as did he. I realized that day that mistakes happen, and it is our attitude and the attitude of others that will help us move beyond our errors.
You cannot learn to play the piano if you're afraid of failure. You will hit wrong notes. Learning a new piece of music takes time, patience, practice, discipline, and determination. The same is true while playing life. We all make mistakes, but none are so bad that they can't be righted. My mistakes are usually huge, and I call them sins. So how do I right those?
Most religions of the world have a moral code; some actually agree that when you die, sin will separate you from God (heaven). End of story. Well, if that's the case, I'm in big trouble. I try hard to be saintly - but sometimes, I'm just bad to the bone.
In my Christian faith, we believe that your sins can be forgiven and you can spend eternity with God - even though you're not perfect. Now, this I can handle. A forgiveness that doesn't depend on my ability to try harder, but forgiveness that's given because of my flaws. This is what we call grace.
But there's another side of sin that isn't often discussed, and it's the side-effect of sin that robs us from joy while we live on Earth. Even though my sins are forgiven by acknowledging Christ as my Lord (or as I like to say - the boss of me), sin creates a huge chasm between God and me while I'm just walking around, doing life. And when there's an ugliness in my life that separates me from the joy, peace, love, and contentment that God intends for me - well, I'm only shortchanging myself. And I'm usually a wreck. Not much joy in that.
Some religions have guilt as a component and while that may work for some folks, it's not helpful to me. If I felt guilty about every wrong note I had hit - I would have thrown in the piano towel by the time I was six! Instead, it is comforting to me to know that my audience (my God) delights in my performance on Earth and forgives me - even when I hit the wrong notes and even when my music is upside down.
Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient.
We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures.
Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.
But--when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love,
he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done,
but because of his mercy.
He washed away our sins,
giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:3-5
New Living Bible Translation
So, how do you move forward after living a life of hitting wrong notes? Or, maybe you're playing with your music upside down, today. Most importantly, have you experienced the kind of forgiveness that enables you to carry on with your performance. . . or is this a new concept?
Turning my music right side up,
Ellen
Posted by Ellen on September 10, 2007 2:54 PM
| Category: The Piano Lesson
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