Music to His Ears

I love music.  I was introduced into the world of music at a young age.  My parents love music.  In fact, their first date was to the symphony!  My sister and I began learning violin at a young age.  It took a lot of hard work and practice.  As I get older and practice smarter, my musical abilities increase.  I have gained a love for performing. 

I've played in small group settings, as well as large group settings.  I've gone on music tours, including a tour to Italy along with several other violinists, to play in various Cathedrals.  In all these different settings, the feeling is the same; excitement, nervousness, and thrill fill my body.

However, the feeling I have when I play in an LDS Chapel is different.

Whenever asked to play in Church or for a fireside, I feel the weight of a calling.  I'm not just playing violin in a venue, I'm playing for my Father in Heaven.  It is how I bear testimony of Him.  It is how I communicate with Him.

When I play in a dedicated house of God, my heart swells with emotion.

While in Italy, we had the opportunity to do a musical number for a small branch in Rome during the Sacrament Meeting.  Before church started, we tried to communicate with the members, but hardly any of them spoke English.  But though we did not speak the same language, we could feel the spirit teaching each of us the same things.  As time for the musical number came, we performed a duet for "O My Father."

 Each violinist felt the Spirit as we played.  Many in the congregation and on stage cried as we played.  The melody sank into my heart, and gratitude for the Restoration of the Gospel overwhelmed me.

I knew Heavenly Father heard my testimony that day.  I knew He loved me and those members in Italy.  I felt it.  As I have continued to play violin in firesides on my mission, I feel my Father's love for all those around me.

#12: Becoming

One of the greatest ways that Heavenly Father shows His love for His children, is he allows them to become something.  He gives them talents, opportunities, abilities, dreams, hopes, and desires.

I was 3 years old when I started playing violin.  Every day I was required to practice.  I didn't always enjoy it.  I knew I wanted to BE a violinist, but I didn't want to do the actual practicing part.  That was just boring! Practicing was a constant battle.  My mom would sit at the piano and help, but I just hated doing it.  One particular day, I put my violin down and refused to practice.  My mother asked me to pick up my violin and practice.  Again I refused. 

Kindly she walked over to my violin on the floor.  Placing it gently in it's case she said, "Well, if you don't want to practice, you don't get to play the violin." 

She took it away. 

She took my violin away from me! 

I thought, How could she do this to me?  She's ruining my life! She put my violin up high where I couldn't reach it.  I began to cry.  I begged and begged her to take it down. In soft tones she taught me the principle of becoming a violinist. Until I was ready to practice, I was not ready to be a violinist.

I agreed to practice.  I would do anything to play the violin!  So she took down my violin, and we resumed practice for the day.  Practicing was still not something I enjoyed, but I did it because I understood this principle.

It's the same with life.  In order to be something, we must learn the principle of becoming something.  We must be willing to put in the effort to practice, work, ask for help, and grow.  When we get frustrated, and feel we should have already accomplished so much, I picture our Heavenly Father teaching us the principle of becoming something. He does not expect me to be perfect.  But He does expect me to become perfect.

I know God loves me because He challenges me to become something great.  He requires me to work.  Though I do not always enjoy my experiences in this mortal life, I am loved because of the opportunity it has given me to be someone.