Monday, July 31, 2006
Like a Boy Learning to Play the Guitar
It's amazing how Grace teaches one to want to do the right thing more. Grace does in fact develop discipline, but i reckon it does come more often than not, with a little pain.
Its like when i first learnt the guitar. I dreamt of the day where i would be able to play nice and catchy melodies and tunes just like my dad. I'd seen him do it since i was yet a kid, and it sure didn't look too hard. When the time came for me to have my go at it, it certainly was a lot harder than it looked. I spent a whole day goin at the guitar, playing one simple Chord (it's simple on hindsight). It sounded really bad and inconsistent - way off-tuned. But that wasn't even really the worst part. The hot-red blisters and hurting fingers for the next few days were simple out of this world. Now that was the WORST part!
It was at that time that i really had to decide if all this pain was worth it. I had only begun to play ONE LOUSY CHORD! How much pain would i have to endure for me to even vaguely make out a chorus?? But i'm glad i decided to go on. To persevere. So that now, i am able to play not just 1 song, but as many songs as i knew the chords for, and guess what? MY FINGERS DON'T HURT AT ALL!
I reckon...that's so much like our christian walk. There are so many things we want to do right for God - So many temptations that are thrown at us... and making the right choices always seem to hurt the most! But somehow, when we persevere and keep at it, the pain always fades till it's no more. In fact, it even becomes a joy to do!
Let's keep strumming our guitars and continue to make joyful noises unto the Lord. And He promises that He will be there to take the sting off your fingers, because we do our deeds not with our own strength but with His strength - with His hand in ours!
