Truth or Fiction

As I reflect back on my previous month’s post (To Quit or Not To Quit), I feel the need to pursue the “quitting” theme once again. There were some who felt that a person should continue on, climb that mountain, as it were, despite the odds, while others felt it was okay to quit, but only for the right reasons. And depending on the circumstances, I believe that either would be the right choice. However, the reason for engaging my thoughts (and yours!) on this topic once again comes from purging our filing cabinet!

For clarity’s sake…I had promised myself that this year I would do away with the mountain of papers and folders that make closing our filing cabinet drawers borderline impossible. So January found me doing just that. But it was time consuming and painful because I needed to make sure that I could “live without” that special card, story, letter, etc. I discarded many things but kept one particular card and short note, having decided to share its contents with you this month. I felt it would be a good extension of my January post .

When I couldn’t find it on my desk (thinking I’d put it there), I searched our newly organized filing cabinet three times this past week but failed to find either card or note. A wave of frustration surfaced when I realized that they must have landed in the “recycling” pile instead of the “keep” pile, and I chided myself for my carelessness. Why such a reaction over a simple card? Because on the threshold of my first published novel, I had received that card, and by way of encouragement, a copy of a short story. The sender and her card had become an incentive for me to continue (i.e., not quit!) in my writing endeavours, so you can understand my frustration when I failed to find her card and contents.

The story Margaret had enclosed with her card had centred around the life of the Polish concert pianist and composer, Ignace Paderewski (1860–1941). Thankfully, the internet proved to be my saving grace, revealing, among other things, that the story is considered a folklore. However, I believe it’s worth sharing since it has been circulating for years among many speakers, teachers, and authors. Now I will join the ranks of the ‘many’ in sharing it with you.

A mother took her small child to a concert featuring the renown pianist, Ignace Paderewski. Her intention was to expose her son to the talent of this great musician with the hope of encouraging him in his piano lessons. They arrived early for the concert and were seated where they could see the  marvelous Steinway grand piano on the stage in front of them. As they waited for the concert to begin, the mother entered into a conversation with the people beside her. Eventually, eight o’clock came, and the lights began to dim. Everyone turned their attention to the stage and to the noise coming from the grand piano. The mother looked up and was horrified to see that her son was sitting at the piano banging out Chopsticks with one little finger. As she began to make her way to the platform to remove her son, Paderewski appeared on stage. He went over and sat down beside the child and whispered in the child’s ear, “Don’t stop; keep playing!” As the little boy continued to play, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began to fill in the bass part. Then with his right arm around the little boy, he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.

Truth or Fiction? It really doesn’t matter since there’s a lesson in it for all of us if we’re willing to look for it. But it’s possible we may fail to appreciate how a folklore could add value to our lives. We may fail to understand the lesson we could learn through a simple whisper, “Don’t stop; keep playing!” And we may fail to see the importance of an embrace and the resulting great music!

But to continue…

This past Sunday I sat under the teaching of a pastor whom I had never heard before. His message was right on point regarding our God-given gifts—be them large or small—and how best we can use them in serving Him. Even though I’ve heard similar messages over the years, I was reminded that there is always something more to learn…that’s what makes studying God’s word so exciting. But here’s the clincher: the pastor summarized his sermon by sharing this very same story. And I smiled! He was making a point: regardless of the size of our giftedness, we must not quit. Rather than giving up, we must use it for God’s glory.

As a follower of Christ, we may spend our lives thinking that our gifts are too small, too insignificant for God to use. But when we use our gifts to honour and praise God, we will sense His embrace as He wraps His arms around us and whispers, “Don’t stop; keep playing.” We will discover that together and under His guidance, we will make beautiful music, music that not only blesses ourselves and strengthens our Christian walk but brings glory to God.

So, may I encourage you that when those times of discouragement come, when you think your skill is insignificant, when you feel like the little boy who could only peck out an insignificant and meaningless tune on a Steinway grand piano, remember the warmth of God’s embrace and His whispered words, “Don’t stop; keep playing.”

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”
Phil. 4:13

P. S. And if you have a piano, go ahead and play Chopsticks!