WHEN I SIT AT MY PIANO I HAVE DISCOVERED IT TO BE A SACRED SPACE WHERE THE TROUBLES OF LIFE SEEM TO FADE AND PEACE REPLACES WORRY. GOD HAS A WAY OF BRINGING ME INTO A PLACE OF COMFORT AND ALLOWS ME TO EXPRESS WHATEVER IS ON MY HEART. HOWEVER I WILL TELL YOU I HAVE NOT ALWAYS FELT THAT EASE WITH GOD. IN MY LIFE AS A CHILD I WAS FEARFUL OF DISAPPOINTING GOD. CONFESSION WAS PART OF MY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING AND THIS SCENARIO BROUGHT ME MUCH DISCOMFORT. WALKING INTO A DARK SPACE AND SHARING MY PERSONAL LIFE WITH A STRANGER BEHIND A HIDDEN WALL WAS TO SAY THE LEAST, DISCONCERTING.
I BELIEVE GUILT OF DISAPPOINTING MY FAMILY LED ME TO OVERSTAY IN A CHURCH THAT DID NOT FILL ME IN ANY WAY. SO I WENT ON A PLIGRIMAGE TO FIND A CHURCH COMMUNITY THAT FELT LIKE A FIT FOR ME. I ULTIMATELY FOUND A NON- DEMOMINATIONAL CHURCH BY ACCIDENT AND HAVE BEEN THERE NOW FOR 20 YEARS. HOWEVER I NOW KNOW IT WAS NOT A COINCIDENCE. GOD KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS SEARCHING FOR. IT WAS QUITE OBVIOUS AFTER THE FIRST SERVICE WE ATTENDED THAT I WAS WHERE I NEEDED TO BE; AND IN THAT PLACE, I WAS INTRODUCED TO A GOD I NO LONGER FEARED.
THE GOD I HAVE COME TO KNOW IS A LOVING GOD THAT LOVES ME JUST AS I AM WITH ALL OF MY STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. HIS LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL AND HE IS THERE FOR ME ANYTIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT. I LOVE KNOWING THAT WHILE I SLEEP HE IS WATCHING OVER ME AND ALL THOSE I LOVE. AND WHEN I HAVE THOSE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WAKE UPS HE IS ALWAYS A WILLING PARTICIPANT IN HEARING WHATEVER IS ON MY HEART! I CAN TELL GOD ANYTHING AND KNOW HE WILL NOT JUDGE ME. IN FACT THERE IS NO BETTER LISTENER THAN GOD. HE DOESNT INTERRUPT ME OR CUT ME SHORT. AND WHEN LIFE GETS REALLY HEAVY AND HARD HE IS NEVER TOO TIRED TO HEAR MY WOES. I OFTEN FIND HE IS ABLE TO HELP ME SEE THINGS THROUGH A LENS OF LOVE AND TRUTH, WHICH CAN EVADE ME WHEN LIFE FEELS OVERWHELMING.
LEARNING TO LET GO AND LET GOD INTO ALL PARTS OF MY LIFE HAS NOT BEEN EASY TO SAY THE LEAST. I’M OFTEN WILLING TO LET GO OF PART OF AN ISSUE, BUT TURNING IT ALL OVER CAN BE QUITE CHALLENGING. HOWEVER I FIND COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT GOD KNOWS ME BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF. AS MUCH AS I WANT TO BELIEVE I KNOW ME WELL, I DON’T. AND TIME AFTER TIME WHEN I HAVE TRIED TO LEAD THE WAY I HAVE HIT ROAD BLOCK AFTER ROAD BLOCK. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT GOD CAN DO FOR ME WHAT I CANNOT DO FOR MYSELF. HE IS NOW THE FIRST PERSON I CALL FOR HIS PLAN SEEMS TO BE WAY BETTER THAN MY PLAN.
TO KNOW GOD HAS MY BACK EACH AND EVERY MOMENT OF MY LIFE IS REASSURUNG TO SAY THE LEAST. HOWEVER REMEMBERING THIS ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDST OF A CONFLICT ISN’T ALWAYS EASY. BUT I HAVE LEARNED OVER MY LIFETIME THAT IF MY PIANO IS AT HAND , IT IS THE PLACE I AM GUARANTEED TO FIND THE CALM IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM. I DO BELIEVE IT IS WHY MY PIANO IS ONE OF THE FEW PIECES OF FURNITURE THAT GETS A GOOD WEEKLY DUSTING. FOR IT SHINES LIKE NO OTHER AND ALLOWS GOD TO POUR INTO ME LIKE NO OTHER!