Live your life well: ‘The Joy of the Lord will be my strength’

“LET THE PEACE OF CHRIST RULE IN YOUR HEARTS, SINCE AS MEMBERS OF ONE BODY YOU WERE CALLED TO PEACE. AND BE THANKFUL.” – COLOSSIANS 3:15

When I was little my dad played “Doe-a-deer” on my little play keyboard and I mimicked what he did. (For anyone who doesn’t know – and I’ve met people who don’t – that’s from ‘The Sound of Music’ which was my absolute favorite movie of all time… but that’s for another post…) My parents put me in piano lessons. I don’t know if it was because it was easy for me or what, but I never practiced. I thought it was so boring. I was very shy and would never play in front of people. I did not like to play and very much liked dance lessons more (even though I was the worst… life is weird that way…). My piano teacher was the sweetest old lady and always gave me fresh baked cookies or breads and a hug. She told me one day she knew two sisters: one danced and one played the piano. The one who danced made fun of the one who played the piano and the piano player said, “Yes, but when I get old and can’t walk I play the piano.” Or something like that. I think she was trying to tell me something.

I quit in high school. My mom always told me I shouldn’t be a quitter and would regret it when I got older.

I hadn’t played in a long, long time, but when I sat down at the piano forgot EVERYTHING. I had to re-teach myself everything and marked my sheet music with the notes. You really do use it or lose it. I worked on a few songs and could play for fun and of course went back to not playing.

A few years ago I told my grandma I’d been wanting an electronic keyboard, but they were expensive and I didn’t NEED one. She said, “So what… get it…” where I thought she would say to make wise decisions.

I finally bought one on amazon this week and it came in a few days ago. It is a cheaper model, but has all 88 keys.

I bought that ‘desire’ frame a long time ago with no place to put it. A perfect fit. 🙂

I can keep it in my room and put in headphones and play until my fingers fall off. I have to re-teach myself the notes and mark almost every one, but I’m determined to re-learn the piano. I have also learned it really is like ‘riding a bike’. I sat down and could play… struggling… but playing. I’ll never play in a symphony nor have the skill to and have no desire to leave my room with it, but it is something I’ve been wanting to do for no other reason except for fun.

It’s so funny how we can talk ourselves out of the silliest little things, but joy brings back some of the simplest enjoyments. I am so thankful to be thankful. It was a long, stressful journey to get here, but my Jesus is so good and faithful. Sometimes, you just have to do something.

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.” – Erma Bombeck

Last year when I was taking care of my grandma and knew I would be home a lot decided I needed to learn a new skill. I bought economic books to read and learn and also a calligraphy book and I started drawing again.

It’s never too late to learn something new.

Jeremiah 20:9

This is one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite books (that I read before it was ever a movie and hyped 😛 ) ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes:
“You’re the most terrible snob, Clark.”
“What? Me?”
“You cut yourself off from all sorts of experiences because you tell yourself you are ‘not that sort of person’.”
“But, I’m not.”
“How do you know? You’ve done nothing, been nowhere. How do you have the faintest idea what kind of person you are?”