Music to My Ears

Grace performed in her first piano recital last year. I was in my first trimester with Jude at the time, so I was really feeling sick. We barely arrived before the recital was to begin because I kept circling the building trying to figure out which door to go in, then there were no parking spots left, so I had to park across the street (and it was raining). Needless to say, we were both pretty harried by the time we got to the recital room.

When we walked into the room, there were about two hundred people there (we sure weren't counting on that). The girl who was supposed to be first to play didn't show up, so Grace got bumped to the first position. Grace had to announce her piece and its composer into the microphone (wasn't counting on that, either). To top it all off, she had to play on an electric instead of a traditional piano. All these factors contributed to Grace's shaky performance. When Grace returned to her seat after playing, she dissolved into tears. Not a fun experience.

This year I switched Grace to a different piano teacher who is closer to our new house. She's a bit more relaxed than Grace's previous teacher, which has been a blessing to both Grace and me. She asked Grace to perform in a little no pressure recital to be put on in front of a small, friendly audience. Grace didn't want to do it at first, but her teacher and I talked her into it.

This past Saturday, Grace played in that recital. We arrived in plenty of time and before we went in, we said a prayer and asked that Grace would only play for the Lord and not for anyone else. Needless to say, Grace did wonderfully well. She played "My Faith Looks Up to Thee" and "This Is My Father's World." I could feel pride swell up in my heart as she played, so I prayed "Lord, please don't let me be prideful," over and over again.

Anyway, Grace got back in the saddle again and I am proud of her for that. She is a joy to both her Daddy and me--a precious gift from the Lord.