Saturday, April 4, 2009

DO IT AGAIN!

“Do it again!” So, I did it again!

“Do it again!” Like any obedient grandfather, I did it again, and again, and again!

My youngest granddaughter was sitting at the piano keyboard. I was sitting at the computer, entering music notation. I had just allowed the computer to play the composition.

Until that moment, she had been acting like she perceived her grandpa to be – all over the keyboard – using all of the sounds, but making no logical “sense”!

I have purposely been doing this, not only as a kindness to others in our musical team at the church, but also as a personal discipline in adding “virtue to my faith”, (2 Peter 1:5), in an area of natural weakness – sight reading.

Earlier in the morning, I had been studying the biblical record of Palm Sunday. The spontaneous response of the crowd was to get excited over a donkey, what palm branches could be used for, and to use their vocal chords in praise!

The simple spontaneity of the moment was worth more to God, than all the success of all the highly organized religious structures of the day.

I realized something this morning – all of my dogged determination to get something right, is counterproductive unless it can capture the heart of a child!

The Psalmist said, “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2 ESV) Jesus added his own commentary, “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise?” (Matthew 21:16 ESV)