Lessons From A Worn Out Guitar

 I was looking everywhere for my guitar but couldn't seem to find it. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but I was supposed to be singing a solo performance of Mary's Lullaby for the women in our church in just a few hours, and I had hoped to practice playing it on the guitar a few more times throughout the day to ensure I'd do well that night. After looking around some more, I gave up. I knew I had a second, older guitar that I hadn't played in years, so I pulled it out, dusted it off and did my best to tune it. Everything was going relatively well at first; I had turned the sixth, fifth and fourth string well enough for an old guitar with older strings, but, as I got to the third string, I couldn't get a G note no matter how hard I tried. 

I sat there, twisting and turning the tuning key, but nothing changed. It took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize that my third string's tuning key was flat out broken, and nothing I could do would fix it. So, I was stuck practicing on an old guitar with old, worn out, pitchy strings and one string that was stuck on the completely wrong note, altogether. Still, I decided that practicing on it was better than nothing, so I did...and it sounded awful. 

As I played, the chords sounded nothing like they should. Like, not even ballpark, people. Though it was painful to listen to, I kept on strumming and singing as best as I could, knowing that even though it sounded awful now, soon, I would have a whole, working guitar and all of my practice would pay off. 

As I strummed away, cringing at the sound, it hit me how applicable this experience was to my life and my frail, meager attempts at becoming a disciple of Christ. 

I want to be a perfect example of the savior; I want to radiate His love and goodness; I want to live my life in a way that is pleasing to God. But I fall so short. I play the right chords, but it comes out all wrong, no matter how hard I try. Many times in my life, I have felt much like that old guitar I was left to practice on -- parts of me are broken and out of tune, making it impossible to play the beautiful notes I long to hear. Yet still, God asks me to play. As imperfect as it may sound to myself and those around me, He asks me to try and to know that, one day, I will be given a perfect, whole instrument to play on, and all my efforts will pay off. 

Only one human being to ever walk this earth was tuned to perfection, each note beautiful and exact. While we should strive daily to play the songs that Christ taught while He lived on this earth, songs of love, service, forgiveness, meekness, and kindness, let us not be discouraged when our notes fall flat or come out all wrong. God doesn't require perfection. He just asks that we practice. He asks that we try. 

For someone who struggles with anxiety and depression and has most of my life, becoming a disciple of Christ has felt like an all uphill battle, one that I struggle with daily. This lesson was a beautiful and kind one to learn. God loves us. He knows our weakness, and He sees our efforts, and He is on our side. 

Please take the time to listen to this talk found by clicking on the link. It is a talk on this very thing and is a powerful, healing message. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrNqGqy5kbQ

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