My Sis and I

My Sis and I
Summer on Alpena Street
One of my favorite sayings from the show Emily Owens, MD

"We make all these plans of how things will turn out; but life happens, plans change, so we adapt. We draw on strength we didn't know we had; we give up any illusions of control, and we deal head on with problems that come our way."




Sunday, March 16, 2014

YIELDED INSTRUMENTS



Because music goes down deep into my soul, I wanted to share this short writing of my father's posted on his webpage: www.nuggetsoftruth.com.  My father has been deceased now for just over 5 years.  His writings and sermons reach into many lives all across the world.

Roman 6:13-23,"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourself unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

Instruments: A means whereby something is achieved or performed.

Members: Every part of yourself.

Psalms 89:15, "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound, they shall walk Oh Lord in the light of thy countenance."

I Corinthians 13:1, "Though I speak with tongues of men and angels and have not love, I become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." (I am out of tune, noisy, confusion.)

When Christ lays His hands upon the keyboard of our lives and we yield to His control, then we will bring forth harmony and music of heaven. Such harmony will bless others.

A true story is told concerning the great musician, Mendelssohn. He was always eager to play the great organs of the cathedrals of Germany. However, he had not had the opportunity to play the organ at the cathedral at Freilburg. With humility, he wandered into this beautiful cathedral with the thought that he would get the opportunity to play the organ.

Mendelssohn asked permission of the caretaker. The caretaker, not knowing the identity of this stranger, refused him permission. It happened that on this particular day, there was nothing in Mendelssohn's appearance that would suggest his true identity. When this unknown stranger pressed the caretaker for an opportunity to play just one tune, the caretaker protested that this organ was so priceless that no one but master musicians were allowed to lay a hand upon its console. Therefore, it was unthinkable that this wandering musician should be granted such a right.

With a polite patience, however, Mendelssohn persisted in his request until he had overcome the resistance of the caretaker and won him at least to a reluctant permission."Very well then, you may play just one small tune on the organ and no more." To enforce his limited permission the caretaker went up and stood beside the stranger as he played.

Mendelssohn began moving his long slender hands upon the keyboard slowly and mildly, feeling out the quality of the notes on the great organ, until he himself was overcome with its richness and let himself go in a burst of glorious symphony. The old caretaker stood aghast and lifted up his eyes to the arches resounding with the cadences of heavenly music; he could hear the whir of angels' wings and the whirling seraphim. The pillars and foundations of the cathedral shook with the thunders of the diapason.

Tears began to trickle down the cheeks of the old caretaker as he placed a hand upon the shoulder of the stranger. He turned his tear-stained face to Mendelssohn and asked, "Sir tell me your name."

"My name, replied the master musician, "is Felix Mendelssohn."

Trembling and faint, the caretaker said, "Ah, sir, how can you forgive me? Only to think that I refused you, the greatest musician of Germany, the right to play on this organ. I never dreamed it was such a wonderful organ until I heard you play. Sir, you have brought music out of this instrument that no one has ever dreamed was here before."

Just as it is with Christ and our souls, in the souls of every one of us there is music waiting to be released or brought to expression. This music will never be until we allow Christ to lay His hands upon the keyboard of our lives and we yield to His control. Christ in our hearts will bring forth eternal possibilities  and the harmony of heaven in our lives.   We will know the joyful sounds and our countenance will light up with beams of His presence.

2 comments:

  1. beautiful! brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful reminder of what it looks like to completely surrender ourselves to Christ.

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