Learning Life's Lesson via Playing the Organ

Today as I sat down at the organ and was preparing my music, the idea came to me that my first blog would be on how playing the organ can be compared with the lessons one learns in life.  In December, our head organist went to the Philippines for her home visit and the main responsibility of playing for our Divine Office and Mass fell to me.

First of all, I am not an accomplished musician by any stretch of the imagination and the daunting thoughts of playing the organ rather frightened me. It is true I have played during Christmas time before so some things were somehow familiar. There are challenges in life that instead of running away, we must learn to meet them and see how to incorporate them. Also I am a firm believer in life, that no matter what God puts in my path, He also gives me the Grace to accomplish the task. I spent hours practicing. In life things and relationships etc. don’t just fall into place, it takes planning and hard work and it is “By the Grace of God we go”.

Sometimes playing the organ is just spot on and I know it is the Spirit of God leading those hands and believe me, I am thanking God. In life also in the good times, we need to remember to Thank God. There are some days, where no matter what, the notes seem to go astray and I need to quickly look down at my hands and realign my fingers.  In life, things don’t always go on an even keel and one need to take time to reflect and see if there needs to be some adjustments in my personal relationship with God.

We also need people around us that can encourage us. I was learning to play new Mass parts and thought I can't do this, I will just play what I know.  I asked a sister to sing the new one with me and said see I think we need to play a more familiar one. She said "Sister you under estimate yourself with a little more practice, you can play this piece". Playing for a community is like living in a community, some of the singers sing quickly and some slowly, so one has to adjust or help lead the community to a more balanced singing together. That is in life we have to reach a balance. So as we play and travel together on that big keyboard of life may we experience that in All Things God be Glorified!  Blessings on your day!