I play the piano for the children’s organization in our church (100% volunteer... so they get what they pay for 😉), and today we had our annual program where the kids take over the entire Sacrament meeting with music and little talks. It went really well, and it also took me back to a year ago, just after I first received the assignment.
It had been years since I had practiced regularly. And let’s be honest... even when I was taking regular lessons in my childhood/teens I didn’t actually practice all that much (hence the gift of sight-reading I carry today)! I received the assignment a few short weeks before the big program. I practiced more intensely than I ever had before. Somehow, through teamwork with pianist friends and sheer miracles, we managed to pull it off. But not comfortably! I remember sitting at the piano with total panic running through my mind. I knew everyone was there to hear the kids sing, but I was just praying my lack of skill wouldn’t detract from their sweet messages! I was relieved when it was all over.
12 months later felt like a full-circle moment, sitting at the piano and remembering the feeling from the year before. This time, thankfully, I was panic-free. I had been practicing (most of) the songs for months, and I had much more experience keeping pace with the kids’ enthusiastic voices. Instead of thoughts of fear and doubt buzzing frenetically around my mind like before, I was so full of love and joy that there was no room for anything else. My fingers moved naturally as I focused on supporting the beautiful messages:
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
God will always prepare a way to accomplish His will each day
Every effort I make He makes greater, for when He is with me I’m strong
My heart can be a holy place
It will be a joyful day when our beloved Savior comes again
I can pray to my Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere
Last year did not feel this way. I didn’t even know the words the kids were singing. I was going through the motions and simply trying to survive.
Practicing over the last several months has been a lot of work, but experiencing the difference between the two programs I see so clearly the value of practice. It makes playing so much more fun!
This experience tells me that if there’s anything in life that doesn’t feel fun, or where fear and doubt are swarming, we can change it with practice. Learning a new skill, growing a strength, building a relationship...it all feels “off” until we practice and work through the tough spots. If we commit to the hard work of learning the notes and running through pieces over and over, the overwhelming becomes do-able, and the foreign becomes familiar. With practice, we can take our challenges and work through one bit at a time until we actually find joy in them.
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