Master Musician

Little fingers fumble across the keys of the piano.  Sometimes they pound; sometimes they are more delicate.  It doesn't matter how they play or what they do.  It's all for the fun of it right now.

When they get a little older they begin to take lessons.  They learn that there are rules.  They learn that there is a right way to hold their hands.  They also learn the excitement that follows after playing a song just right.  The songs are simple.  They learn step by step.  All of it is so thrilling for them.

When they get a little older, they might decide they don't like the lessons.  They want to stop.  They want to give up.  They are encouraged to keep going.  It's worth it, they are told.  So they keep practicing.  And practicing and practicing.  It can be tedious, but they begin to see results.

As teenagers they begin to feel the thrill of mastery.  They are able to look back and really see the progress they have made.  They have a tendency to look at the little beginners and feel swells of pride that they have accomplished so much.  They believe they know it all now.  They are masters of music.

When they enter college, they receive a great blow to their pride.  They are faced with true mastery, others that have traveled this road before them and achieved so much more.  They feel discouraged again.  How can they ever hope to accomplish as much these others?  They are instructed, taught to persevere.  Practice, practice...

As I listened to them play in a university concert, I felt surges of gratitude and awe.  Look how far they have come!  Look at all they have achieved!  Surely, this was true mastery!  But no, if I listened carefully enough, there were still stumbles and mistakes.  They were more subtle though, more slight.

My thoughts went to concert pianists, and the incredible level of mastery they reach.  It is amazing to me.  It is a testament to me of the power of the human soul.  But even they, in all their seeming perfection, are not perfect.  They are only master musicians to a point.

There is only one Master Musician.  The Master Musician.  The perfect example.

Just as musicians progress in their journey towards musical mastery, each of us is on a journey of personal mastery.  We are learning to be like Christ.  Our goal is perfection.

When we are young, we ride through life blissfully unconscious of the complexity of it, the rules and principles that we will eventually learn and be taught to follow.  As we begin to learn, we have times when we question the necessity of it all.  We become discouraged and wish to give up.  We press forward... and practice, practice.  We have times when we feel that we have it all figured out.  We look around us at "all those poor people who don't get it yet."  We become puffed up in pride at our own accomplishments, only to turn around and be silenced by the incredible achievements of others.  Our imperfections then grow again in our estimation.  We again feel discouraged, but we press onward... and practice, practice.  At some point in our lives we will begin to gain a greater handle on true mastery.  No, we won't be anywhere near perfect, but we will have better mastered the most important principles of love, patience, obedience, understanding...   Bit by bit, line upon line, we will become more and more like the Master.