My Cup Runneth Over

A week ago, today, I was set apart as the Primary Pianist. Good thing I have a piano again, huh? To say I felt inadequate is an understatement. I have always been surrounded by music. My mom played piano the whole time I was growing up and I took lessons for a little while when I was younger, but then life got busy and playing the piano went into the background. After we moved here I got my own piano, but I didn't really play it all that often. Oh, I made token efforts to play and the kids would plink out a tune here and there, but that was all. I am not that good and I'll be the first to tell you that I really should have payed better attention to my piano teacher all those years ago. Still, I believe the the Lord qualifies those whom he calls. As I was struggling to learn one of the songs that I was asked to play I just felt very overwhelmed, so I went into my room and poured out my heart in prayer. As I was doing this, I began to realize that while I will struggle with this, and I will make mistakes, that this is for my good and benefit and also for the benefit of my family. That because I was given this calling, I will improve my talent of playing the piano. My children will have wholesome music in our home and it will be a blessing to us to gather around the piano and sing, much as it was a blessing for me to sing while my mom played in our home growing up. I hope that as I play that my children will come to love and appreciate music. Taylor already wants to learn the piano, but I don't know how to teach her, but maybe that will come, too. I am already seeing an improvement in the songs I've been practicing, which is good since we will be performing them in a couple of weeks. I'm still not sure how I will get all my practicing in since Rachel likes to climb on my lap and play once she hears me playing, but somehow it will come, this I believe. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and even though I do feel overwhelmed at times, I am also at peace.

Life is difficult right now, but the Lord is mindful of me and my family. He knows our needs before we do, like me getting a piano before I knew I would need it. He will strengthen us and support us if we put our trust in Him and let Him lead us. I don't know what the future will bring, but I know it will be wonderful. There is a song from The Forgotten Carols where the singer tells us that she didn't get the things she wanted, but she was given what she needed. What we think we want and what we think we need may not be what we really need, but what we get from the Lord is always for our good, even if it is something that causes us to struggle, like me stumbling through these Christmas songs.