Perseverance Ushers in Praise

All of my life, I have been drawn to music. Although my first instrument was the flute, I have always felt a deep love for the piano. When I was younger, I had two years of lessons, but I didn’t have the chance to play for many years.

As I began my career in  ministry, I found myself being constantly fascinated by the variety ways the piano can be used in a worship setting. With it’s flexibility and versatility, the piano can be used for both contemporary praise music, congregational singing, solo pieces, or accompanying a choir.

Several years ago, when I was visiting a local nursing home, I walked through the doors to the lobby and was immediately greeted by the sweet sound of a familiar melody. A woman was seated at a small piano in the lobby, playing hymn.

“That’s beautiful,” I said to the person I was visiting.

“I know,” they responded. “And would you believe that she is almost 100 years old? She lives here and she plays hymns for us every day. It’s a wonderful gift.”

After I left, I couldn’t get the image of the woman at the keyboard out of my mind. She looked so serene and happy, and her music was giving so many people peace and joy.

At the time, I was over thirty-years old. I worried that I was far too old to learn the piano. I also knew that I would face additional challenges because of my poor vision. Nevertheless, I prayed about it. I couldn’t shake the feeling that, if I took time to learn the piano, God could use it somehow. 

“Besides,” I reasoned, “It’s not like I want to become a concert pianist. Perhaps with a lot of work and even more prayer, I could learn to play some hymns.”

I found an incredible teacher who was willing to take on an adult student with a visual impairment (I highly recommend her work!) and I began practicing. There were some days I skipped practicing, but I made it a goal to practice at least 60 to 90 minutes a day. Sometimes I played for two hours or more.