An Instrument in the Lord's hands

Being an instrument in the Lord’s hands

    There is this awesome group called the Piano Guys.  Have you heard of them?  They are amazing musicians: masters, if you will.  They do amazing things with their instruments.  Even more amazing is how they take ordinary instruments and expand on their musical potential.  For example, for a couple of music videos they took the top off a grand piano and played it in a most unusual way.  Four or five men stood around this piano, plucking at its strings, winding horse hairs around the strings, using paper, and even hitting, pounding, and beating on different sides of this piano.  The piano is most definitely not played in the typical manner.  Yet, from this dismantling and beating, it produces an amazing sound

   I couldn’t help but think of how the instrument (or witnesses standing by) may have felt.  Perhaps there were questions or comments like: “Wait!  This is NOT the way it should be played.” Or “Why can’t you just play it the ‘right’ way, or the way it was intended?” or “It won’t sound good that way.  It just won’t work.” Or even, “Why would you ruin a perfectly good instrument that way? Why did you ruin it?”

   In fact, there may have been MANY questions of “Why?!”

  But you see, the thing is, The Piano Guys are the master musicians.  They know what they are doing.   As masters, they knew that they could allow the piano to be played like every other piano and it would have still produced beautiful music.  But they also knew of the piano’s potential.  They knew of the amazing things that would happen if the piano trusted in the musician and allowed itself to go down a path it didn’t envision.   By being taken down a “different path,” the piano was taken to a greater level.

    Aren’t we sometimes like this piano?   We are told to be “instruments in the Lord’s hands,” and I’ve been reminded more and more as of late, that this is no simple task.  There are times, we look at our instruments (ourselves), and know what we are capable of.  We know the kind of beautiful music that we could produce if the Master would simply follow our plan and play us as we wish.  We want to just produce the same kind of beautiful music that all the other instruments are producing:  Nothing more, nothing less.

BUT, it is not the instruments job to instruct.  We are NOT the master musicians here.  We are the instruments.  I have been left in awe of this lesson and reminded to take heed of the lesson to be learned.  I lose the potential of a greater power when I limit myself simply to what I already know.  Yet, to truly be an instrument in His hands, I need to trust in Him, and trust that he truly does know what he is doing.  When I want to scream, “WAIT!  NO!  This is NOT the way I was intended to be played!” I am left instead with the image of beautiful music that was created when the instrument was played in a most unusual manner.  When I want to just be like all the other instruments, and played in a simple manner, I am reminded that not all of us were intended to be played the same way.  When I want to say “Stop.  Please don’t break me down like this.  You’ll ruin me!”, I try to think of how this particular piano HAD to be broken down and beaten in order for the Masters to work their magic.

   As trials come and trials go, the most important thing for me to realize right now, is that even a broken down and beaten instrument can still be beautiful.  For it is by the Masters hand that great things are brought to pass. . . .and if the instrument needs to be broken down first, that’s okay (or at least it will be), for the Master is in charge of the instrument, and as we have faith in that, beautiful things WILL come.  

In case you were wondering, here's a link to a few of their videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n543eKIdbUI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VqTwnAuHws

Recent funnies

June 19, 2013
Last week, Breanna was away at Girls Camp. This week, I'm being reminded of all that she does to help out at home, and especially with baby sister. (She doesn't even need to be asked). So I told her today "I've decided, you can never leave home again, until Angela graduates from high school." Her response, "Kind of harsh. But OKAY.

May 17, 2013
My two year old today: "Oh no Mama. The milk is sad."
Me: "the milk is sad?"
2 yr old: "it's crying"
Then I look at the gallon of milk on the counter with moisture dripping down the side and realize what she is talking about. This little girl is so stinkin' cute. Gosh, I adore her!

Feb 27, 2013
String instruments being played in my home makes me feel so content! Loving that my twins just started playing the cello and double bass. Already, they sound fabulous. I like to think they got their musical talent from me The funny thing is, when I mentioned that to BK, she said "Well, duh! HOW could we get it from DAD?!" ha ha.

"I hate it when you open the fridge and can't find what you're looking for. . . .like happiness, . . .and perfect abs. . . ." 

I really need to post these more. . .

My kids are hilarious.  They are constantly cracking me up, and they make me laugh.  This is a good thing.  I'm an easily amused person, as it is.  But, I'll admit it, having six kids can be draining sometimes, especially with a husband that is CONSTANTLY gone due to military commitments.  However, I do believe there is way more good in my large brood than bad, and I adore them so much.  SO here are some current gems.

**On Mothers Day this year, Paul was gone for training (for the 4th time in the last 5 years over Mothers Day), but my kids still wanted to make it special for me.  I awoke to smoke detectors going off in the house.  Sure enough, I go downstairs, and the kitchen is filled with smoke, and red-faced VERY apologetic kids that kept pleading "We're SOOO sorry" "We were trying to surprise you!"  "We didn't want to wake you".  I started laughing.  Yes, they had scorched two of my pans with oil, BUT they not only were trying to make me breakfast in bed, but had decided that crepes were the way to go.  ha ha.  Crepes are not known for being easy.  And even though, I like to think I have trained them pretty well in the kitchen, I do not think they are up to the complexity of crepes just yet.  So, I offered to make them.  But then they PLEADED with me to PLEASE go get back in bed so they could still bring me breakfast in bed.  Again, I laughed.  But I did what I was told.  However, there was a small crash, along with a disappointed sigh outside of my door as I heard "oh no.  Now we spilled milk all over the carpet."   Again, I laughed.  The truth is, I can't remember the last time anyone tried to bring me breakfast in bed, and I found it extremely sweet.  My 14 year old Adam ran the show, and was so red in the face with embarrassment.  I just hugged him tightly, continued to laugh, and told him that I like the story of what really happened WAY better than if it had all gone right.  A VERY memorable Mothers Day.  Love it!

**That evening, My little Miss Natalee brought me some homemade coupons for a Mothers Day gift.  It had little tasks like "I will fold the laundry for a week", or "I will wash the big dishes for a week."  When I read the "I will keep my room clean for two weeks," I became very excited and said "I'll cash in on that RIGHT now."  To which she replied with a very straight face "that will be a $5. surcharge.".  SO funny!  These kids crack me up.

**On another day, my baby girl, Miss Angela came waltzing into my room as I was getting ready for the day.  She took one look at me and exclaimed "MOM!  I Like your BODY!"  I laughed so hard, while adding in "well, I guess that makes one of us.".  A few minutes later as I continued to get ready, she sat looking at me and said, rather reflectively "Mom?  Your butt is beautiful."  Sure that I misheard her, I said "what did you say?"  To which she replied "Your butt.  It's beautiful."  Much more laughter ensued.  She could be VERY good for my self esteem!  If only all people thought like 2 year olds. . . . on second thought, that's probably NOT a good idea.  ha ha

**One Saturday night  I was out late, and a friend of mine gave me a manicure.  The next day, while sitting next to Adam, I showed him my nails and said "look!  They're pink!"  To which he replied with a twinkle in his eye,  "No, they're HOT pink. . . . just like my mom!"  Ha ha.  What a goofy schmoozer.  Made me laugh though.

**Then there's my Breanna.  A girl who bleeds confidence.  I honestly wish I would have had her kind of confidence growing up.  She is amazing.  She is very sure of who she is.  She knows of her talents and abilities, and even more admirable, she knows where she lacks and will laugh with us as we tease her about them (such as her lack of dancing abilities, and her cartwheels.  SO FUNNY!).  She loves to tell Paul and I exactly what she is thinking too.  So the other day, she was commenting about getting straight A's (which I don't think she has EVER gotten below an A), and said "You know mom, in my last school, I was KNOWN for my smartness."  The phrase made me laugh, and she caught it as she said it, but it was too late.  It had been said, and now she will be teased for years and years to come.  Thank goodness she laughs more than anyone else I know.

**Isaac is always up to no good.  He has a twinkle in his eye, and LOVES to tease.  He sits on the edge of his seat just waiting for any of us to mess up our words (which happens quite frequently), but especially his Mom and Dad.  Watch out for this one though, cause he's a charmer.  All he has to do is flash those dimples and there's no way you can be annoyed.

** And now, we are on to Timmy.  What a ham.  His expressions are the best.  My mind is blanking on any recent stories, but let's just say, that boy has a lot of energy.  And one of my favorite things is how every morning when I dropped him off at school, he would crawl over the seats to come give me a hug, JUMP out of the car, then twirl around so he could wave bye to me again.  Then he would literally bounce into the school.  Oh, I love my "sunshine".