You would not believe it! I hardly believe it. I am a child who was a reject in my school. No one wanted to be my friend, and yes, there was a sad day when my very last friend decided to turn away from me because it was not popular to be friends with the "four-eyed freak." I was under the care of a psychiatrist for facial ticks and anxiety from watching my mother attempt to kill herself, and then watching her leave my living room on a stretcher, followed by months of being taken away from my parents and begging for the day I would one day be reunited with them. I was finally picked up by my parents, but not too long after that my parents divorced and I lived with my mother as a wanderer, no real home, not at one place for long. I eventually went back to live with my father and my brother.
I'm a kid who got a second chance in life by having the opportunity - the privilege, not a right - to attend a Christian school in its infancy when I was in 5th grade, and later graduated from that same school. I taught myself how to play the piano in 7th grade because I wanted to do it so much and my dad couldn't afford for me to take lessons. I started playing the notes as 1-2-3-4-5 rather than C-D-E-F-G because that was all I knew, but then applied some of the things I learned in music class in school. Our beloved church pianist taught me a few basics to help get me started, and I practiced and practiced until I could finally play an offertory, messing up royally but improving and improving until I was accompanying special music groups and soloists. My dad was embarrassed for me to get up and play, but that only made me more determined to succeed. It wasn't long before he was proud of me.
I determined I was going to use my talents for the Lord. I am in awe over the opportunities that came my way, such as playing for specials and then for the congregational singing, and then later with a church band. I started writing songs in the 1990's, but put it aside when I had children. I've picked it up again now that they are grown, and I have published 45 songs. I teach music to 1st-8th graders, and believe it or not, I actually teach piano lessons now. I have played in a small orchestra. I helped arrange some of our band music and would sing with our group while simultaneously playing challenging parts on two keyboards. I create background accompaniment tracks for special music. I have played the piano in weddings, funerals, regularly in church, and in restaurants to do Christmas caroling, I've done some hymn sings in nursing homes, have brought the doctors, nurses and secretaries I work with, as well as my church family, to nursing homes and other venues to do Christmas caroling, I have been able to use this talent to work with choirs (both children and adults), I have sung and played the piano at Christian coffee houses, I've helped out other churches, I've played for school programs and kindergarten graduations, and now I have opportunities to play in my own living room for pleasure with my first ever full sized keyboard.
God has opened WIDE the gates of opportunities, and it's such a huge blessing to my soul. Here I am, not a wildly talented musician, but one who loves to serve, and has had blessings poured out onto me to do just that. I say this with humility, because honestly it is my availability and not my ability that stands out. There are so many singers and pianists that far exceed my actual talent, and yet God keeps giving me opportunity after opportunity to use it! I'm so happy!
I decided to write this post because I want to encourage you, whether young or old, to just use what the Lord has given you. Stop making excuses that you are not good enough. He doesn't care. He wants a good attitude, a servant's heart, and a humble spirit. Then just get out there and DO IT! You will be so entirely glad you did, and will feel like your life is sweet. I know that is how I feel right now, and I thank the Lord for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment