Practice, Practice, Practice
Dear
Girlfriends,
Practice
makes perfect? I'm not sure about that, but I did find daily practice was
essential to learning to play the piano. As I matured, I sometimes approached my
practice sessions with very different objectives desiring very different
outcomes. But one thing was for sure; the more I practiced, the better I got at
practicing!
Daily
prayer is as essential to growing spiritually as daily practice is to learning
to play an instrument. And just as you might have different objectives and
approaches to practice, so might you have in prayer. Let me explain - but
first, let's determine exactly who we're praying to.
I played
the same piano almost every day of my life for 20 years. The name etched over
Middle C never changed; it was perfectly clear that I was playing a Bradbury
Baby Grand. But when it comes to prayer, some folks seem confused as to who
they're praying to. God is God. Not the Good Fairy, Santa Claus, or a Falling
Star. When you're communing, realize that you're speaking directly to the
Almighty Creator. If that doesn't humble you, I don't know what will.
So what are
some of the different objectives of prayer? There were times I would approach
my piano with one goal and one goal, only: to relish the music and to allow the
melody to wash over me. Pure joy - that was my only objective for my practice
time. So, also, should you set aside a time to just worship God for who He is.
That's right - no requests - pure praise. Think of it like your kids running in
to say, "Mom, you're the best Mom in the world" without the second part of the
sentence, "Can I have 20 dollars?" Just take time to acknowledge the Designer
of heaven and earth - and your
Creator - not for what He can do for you but for who He is.
There are
times I would approach my practice with the goal of getting better. I would set
my metronome and focus intently on each note, each beat - striving, desiring to
play better. Sometimes I was successful. Sometimes I was not. Likewise, there
are times when you go to God with a specific desire. And, like my practice -
you might get the outcome you want or you might get the outcome He intends for
you to have. In her book, I Told the
Mountain to Move, Patricia Raybon shares a story about her daughter's
conversion to the Muslim faith. She writes,
"My prayer for her salvation in Christ continued daily. But
God's orders, in the
meantime, were to trust him always and to show her love
right now. . . But I still
didn't understand what was happening. When I prayed, God
still spoke to my spirit with one answer: Love her. Trust me. And have some
peace. Stop
turning yourself inside out, trying to run my business."
Do you ever
try to run God's business? Yeah, me too.
Many times
during my practice sessions I couldn't tell if I was making any progress at
all. So I would tape myself, and listen. A lot of my friends say, "I can't tell
what God's trying to say to me". Speaking the truth in love, I encourage them
to shut up for a while. If you'll stop whining, you might get some clarity.
Glory be!
Sometimes
when I practiced, I would focus on one piece of music - the hard one. The one
that challenged me; the piece that made me feel inadequate; the score that
threatened my self-esteem. I would sometimes literally yell out loud in total
frustration. Same with prayer. It's OK to be honest when you're angry with God.
There are times when prayer is a clearing of the air.
Practice
make perfect? I have no proof of that. But I do have proof that prayer delivers
direction, joy, peace, and contentment - especially when we're specific in our
approach.
Scheduling
my practice time,
Ellen
Posted by Ellen on September 18, 2007 2:53 PM
| Category: The Piano Lesson
|
