Don't Quit, Keep Playing

by G.Parker


In our Sacrament meeting, an older gentleman gave a wonderful talk. He told a story about a piano concert a mother and her child were attending. It came time for the curtain to go up and the mother returned to her seat (one wonders where she was) to find her 4 year old child absent. In panic she watched the curtain pulled aside to reveal her young child on the seat of the magnificent Steinway piano, plucking out the notes to "twinkle twinkle little star."

Mortified she watched as the world famous master pianist walked up and quickly leaned over to whisper in the child's ear, "Don't quit, keep playing." He then reached over with his left hand and started playing the lower part of the melody. Then he reached up with his right and added the upper notes.

What could have been the worst moment in his young life, turned into a wonderful, amazing memory. The piano master played many other wonderful songs during the course of the concert, but no one remembered them as well as the spellbinding moment with the little boy.

The point seemed to be that many of us are like that little boy, plunking out notes to a song, doing a simple thing that doesn't really impress anyone. But, with the master's help, we can do something greater.

I realized this applied to writing as much as anything else. What we strive to do on our own might touch someone or make an impact -- but what we do with the help of the Master will make a world of difference.

Are you willing to play?