Friday, June 8, 2012

London Bridge is Falling Down


I love music. I’m always singing (or humming if there’s anyone nearby) and during the middle of the day when I’m working and the middle of the night when I’m supposed to be sleeping I find myself longing to play my violin. God gave us the gift of music, and like pretty much everything else, it is to be used for His glory and praise.  Some people are not gifted musically, and that’s ok. In Psalms it says to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. I not a very good singer, so playing my instrument beautifully is something that brings overflowing joy to my life as a way to worship my God.

This week, I was temporarily deprived of that pleasure. Working here at camp, every evening before the service, the staff present a musical special. I haven’t been able to participate in it for the past few years due to my work schedule during the evenings working in the kitchen, but this year I get to accompany two songs!  I was so excited, so nervous, and just a bit stressed (I got the music two days before the first performance, which was only going to be for staff, but still…) I spent all of my break Saturday and Sunday practicing, which amounted to over six hours of practice. I was transposing a piece, learning to read Bass clef, and play in B Major (which is a REALLY bad key for strings). It was so hard, but I was able to play it beautifully after all that time. I’m finally tuning up to play with the counselors for the first time and….

SNAP!

My bridge collapsed. And as a result, my sound post (what makes the instrument actually make sound) fell over. My violin was suddenly unplayable, I’m in the middle of the desert, and I have no earthly idea how I was going to get this fixed.

But, as a result, I got to see how God provides, even before my need could be known.  A week before I left, some dear friends of mine gave me $100, to be used however I saw fit. I was planning on putting it on my scholarship account, since I was planning on using it for school anyway, but I held off and just stuck it in my violin case and forgot to turn it in.  Well, now I had an expensive repair that was paid for! But where to get it fixed? I looked into shipping it back to the guy I normally go to for repairs, but after calculating all the shipping… It was going to be pushing $200, plus a $50 repair, and plus about 2 weeks of time.  I really couldn’t afford that, but God is faithful. I was able to find a violin repair shop that was near where one of the resident staff had to make a stop on Tuesday.

I’m still waiting on it to be finished (apparently they needed to order parts…), but God has provided exceeding abundantly above that I could ask or think, or even before I could ask or think. 

Getting ready for this summer, this promise is going to be big for me. I will need strength I do not have, wisdom I do not understand, love I do not possess, and patience with those who are “unpatientable” (as well as protection from those who dislike those of us who make up words…). : )

It is because of Him that I can play a violin, and because of Him, I can serve Him with it this summer.

Because of Him,
Missa

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