“An instrument fitting,” I asked our fifth-grade daughter. “What is that?”
“It’s where I get to try out the instruments to determine which I would like to play in band,” she patiently explained to her uninitiated mom. “Plus, I already know a bit of piano although the teachers say we don’t have to have any experience. They’ll teach us everything!”
While no stranger to music or playing a few instruments ourselves, I nor my husband, had ever heard of an ‘instrument fitting’. The rural roots of our childhoods had us both reading music and practicing our instruments without any “instrument fitting” experience.
No matter, we both accompanied our precocious piano-player to her first “instrument-fitting” so she could determine what she desired to learn for her school band. She first tried the percussion package: a drum pad and a set of bells.
She needed to imitate the instructor’s rhythm after he played it on his lap. She mimicked him quite well. The band director pointed out she had both the co-ordination and the ear necessary to play percussion.
“With daily practice you will develop both your ear and your fine motor skills necessary to play effectively.” Next, he questioned her if she had ever studied music before. She excitedly told him of her piano lessons.
Smiling at her obvious enthusiasm, he told her since she already knew the keyboard and how to read music, bells would come naturally. “You can build on what you already know.”
Happy with her decision, she signed her name for band next year and solidified her instrument details.
Learning more about Jesus is the same.
With daily practice we develop both an ear to listen for Him and the skills to do a godly life effectively. No matter how old we get or how long we walk with the Lord, we need to pray and read Scripture most every day. That daily habit helps us develop an ear for the Lord. For the whispered instructions He places in our heart and on our minds. For the nudges He gives us that we can’t explain but know are from Him.
Just like when a musician stumbles over and frustrates while practicing a challenging piece of music. Practice day in and day out, taking it slowly, measure by measure, eventually leads to a well-played piece. Not usually overnight. But eventually, that practice results in a very accomplished musician.
Practicing our faith through prayer and Bible study helps us know God and know what exactly He wants from us and for us. While life can get hard, we know from experience of walking with Him that it will get easier and we will get through it. One day we will look back and realize how it shaped us into a stronger, better person.
Finally, just like our zealous daughter, we too can build on what we already know, even if we believe it to be precious little.
Maybe you, like me, want to know the Bible much more. Maybe the many facets of the Christian faith seem overwhelming. Like a beginning musician, we need to take it one note at a time.
I recall my own piano lessons, where, when introduced to a new piece, I would often only play one hand at a time, before trying them, very slowly, together.
Our faith practices can progress the very same. Maybe our prayers are simple and we decide to read through the gospels, one book at a time. We slowly build our Bible knowledge while keeping our prayers simple.
Do you think God is delighted with us? Yes!
Is a conductor pleased when his musicians are making steady progress? For sure!
Does he expect them to master all areas of music at once? No, he wants them to enjoy the process so they will return tomorrow.
Just like the Lord said, “Make a joyful noise,” (and He didn’t say it must be on key!) we need to joyfully approach getting to know Him, not stress trying to do too much at once. He doesn’t expect paragraphs of memorized Scripture or long, flowing prayers. He knows praise when He hears it, whether in a few words or simply our heart rejoicing when we catch our breath watching a sunset.
He wants us to spend time getting to know Him. We need almost daily Scripture to develop an ear for Him, practice growing our godly skill set and building upon what we already know to be true.
With that practice, our hearts will be joy-filled, even in the challenging times. Our hearts may learn to sing Psalm 98:1, “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.”
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You that You are always accessible and that I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to know all Scripture at once. Thank You that You are faithful and cheer me on each step as I grow in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.