So, when I was growing up – and to this day – our daily pre-meal Grace sounds something like this: God is Great, God is Good, let us thank Him for our food. Amen. Simple, right? Every day, at least 3 times a day. Sometimes it probably sounds like something we just trot out without much thought. I would disagree – wholeheartedly. Those may be the words coming out of my mouth – but so much more comes from my heart. If you are paying attention, you will probably notice that “Amen” doesn’t mean my head pops up, and my mouth pops open. That’s because my heart hasn’t said Amen yet.
This past week has been so grace-filled – and my gratitude is overflowing. Grace because I know that I could never do enough to earn the blessings in my life. We’re talking grace of ginormous proportions.
I’ve mentioned how well Bill is doing in our other blog. I am so proud of him!
On Friday, the piano keyboard I ordered was delivered. I took piano lessons for many years while I was in school. I started to learn on an old player piano. It had these old rolls with paper, and you would load one and then start pedaling and the keys would play as if by magic. Later, Mom and Dad saved up and bought a brand new upright piano for me. My first piano teacher was pretty intimidating, and those lessons were awfully long “half hours”. Honestly, practicing every day probably wasn’t my favorite thing. Okay, no probably about it. Thirty minutes felt more like hours. Except when Dad would sit in his recliner and listen to me play. I know that Mom appreciated it as well, but it was often her job to make sure I practiced. It wasn’t until much later that I realized and appreciated the sacrifices they made for this. I know that money was tight, and not only did they have monthly payments on the piano, but weekly lesson fees and music books as well. Recitals were very uncomfortable for me, but I made it through them.
Recently, I felt prompted to start playing again to see if I remembered much and if I was even a little proficient. Given our lifestyle, I was thankful for having a small Casio keyboard that allowed me to reacquaint myself with piano. A gifted friend that teaches piano offered guidance and support, and Bill was cheering me on. One thing led to another, and now – miracle of miracles – I have a full-size keyboard to play. I am working hard to live up to even a small portion of what it is capable of. I find that half an hour is definitely not sufficient. There also seems to be a time warp problem. I find myself sitting down to just play for a minute, and two hours later I am still sitting there.
I am ready for stay-at-home shelter-in-place orders. In fact – bring it on! I’ll let you know when I’m ready to go out again. I can work from home, I have my knitting, I have my piano, I have my Bill, I have dogs to walk and miles to log. I have access to a great exercise bootcamp video and a super workout spot on our site. Last week, I was able to hit 4 out of 5 days doing a workout in addition to daily walks. I do miss having my friend to exercise with, and I have room for one more, but I don’t mind solo.
I am grateful. For so many things – health and a body that is able to move; Bill and my family, a place to live, food to eat, the ability to serve others, a job, and a host of skills that fill me with joy. If I listed all my gratitudes and blessings, this post would never get done.
Grace lesson – choose an attitude of gratitude. When you view life through a filter of gratitude, you will find joy and blessings beyond measure.
Lert's Lessons in Grace 