Little Irritations

The piano at church has been driving me crazy. A few weeks ago while playing an offeratory, I noticed the high "A" key was sticking. It was annoying at the time, but I calmed myself by reminding myself that it wasn't a key I used often because I don't often play in the higher range.

About a week later, the "G" below middle "C" began sticking. It was far worse than the "A" and any of you who know about music know that that particular key is played ALL THE TIME! During one service, I was so distracted by the constant sticking that I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I stopped playing the hymn after the second verse, only to discover seconds later that there was another verse. The congregation was singing acappella because I was fiddling with the stuck note instead of playing the song. Needless to say, it was rather embarrassing.

Since that time, I have planned my offeratories around the stuck keys. It hasn't been easy, and I've had to remind myself to play that "G" an octave lower. I discovered that in trying to avoid those keys I messed up in other places. My "groove" was thrown off all because of a couple of stuck keys!

Do you see where I'm going with this? Many times in life, it only takes one wrong attitude or one bad habit to cause a major disruption in our Christian walk. These problems cause a note of discord in the beautiful melody God is trying to play through us. Whether it be a sin that we just won't let go of or an attitude of bitterness, these obstacles hinder us from making beautiful music for the Lord. Sure, we can"get by" just as I got by on the piano, but the melody won't sound as sweet. To restore the music, we need to fix the problems.

That's what made the difference with the church piano. The tuner/repairman came to look at the piano last week. He discovered the problem. Evidently, a mouse had decided to make his home inside the piano. He built himself a nest, chewed on some of the felt, and then died inside the piano. Why we didn't smell him I don't know! (Just think: I had been that close to a mouse for weeks and had no idea. Yuck!!!!) Anyway, the tuner removed the mouse (or what was left of him) and repaired the damage he had done. The piano plays perfectly now (although my groove could still use a little tweaking!)

What if we had ignored the problem and continued to try to "get by?" I cringe to think about it. There was a problem. It needed to be fixed. After the repairs were made, things were back as they should be.

That's all God wants from us. He wants us to examine ourselves and see what belongs and what is out of place. A mouse in the piano is DEFINITELY out of place. How about your life? Do you see something that just doesn't belong? How about getting rid of it and allowing the Lord to use you again as an instrument for His glory!

Now that I know a mouse can get inside the piano, I'll be watching more carefully. I can't tell you the number of times I checked around my feet last Sunday. The same is true in our lives. Once we know what we're dealing with, we know what to watch out for. That alone will make a big difference!