Shaun Groves
After the concert, the little girl sheepishly slinked her way up to the man in black. She held her first year piano book out to the maestro.
He stooped and uncapped his pen. “Do you play the piano?” he asked, scribbling his name in great loops and quick slashes on a corner of the thin book’s cover.
“I’m not very good,” she confessed.
“Well, there’s no reason you can’t be,” he said, taking her hand in his, running his thin thumb down her long slender fingers. “You’re made to play the piano.”
“My brother says I’m just noisy,” she said, eyeing her shoes and the immaculate marble floors of the concert hall’s grand lobby.
“Does your brother know more about music than I?”
Pink bloomed in the little girl’s cheeks and she squeaked out the faintest hopeful giggle, then covered her mouth with both hands.
“I know the secret to becoming a great pianist,” he said, bowing to one knee and leaning in. “Practice,” he whispered.
The girl pulled away, eyes wild with surprise.
“That’s all,” the man assured. “Practice this music. Every day, practice this. Instead of television, practice. In place of dolls, practice.”
The little girl’s jaw went slack as the pianist rose to his feet again and his voice began a great crescendo.
“Practice. Practice. Practice every page of this book! Every spare moment, practice!!!”
The girl was nodding along now, a smirk of a smile creeping up from her hopeful heart.
“And you…you, my dear, will be a great pianist one day. I promise.”
The little girl danced away, her piano book tucked under one arm, and did exactly as she had been told.
As many years passed the little girl grew less and less little. Her fingers longer. Her desire greater. Every day for countless hours, she practiced. Faithfully. Diligently. Exactly as she had been told.
Decades spent at the piano, and the stage still wasn’t hers. Her name was not known. No one was impressed by the woman who could perfectly play every note of a little girl’s piano book.
Melody Joy King says:
I’m not sure what or who inspired you to write this post, but I literally just set up piano lessons for myself about 5 minutes before reading it. I took lessons as a kid, and was recently given a piano. All of this to say I am super excited to be getting back into playing and was inspired by this post, so thanks! :0)
Melody Joy King says:
I’m so confused,
Melody Joy King says:
What I meant was that after reading everyone else’s comments I’m confused.
Jenn says:
I don’t know if I’m supposed to laugh or cry. What does it all mean???
Liz Reeves says:
Am I missing something? I feel like I didn’t hear “the rest of the story”.
Dave says:
Moral of the story…
Hebrews 5:13
Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
JavaJoy says:
Thanks Dave!
Shaun; Since I have been in a (mostly painful) season of growth for the past 3 years, this is very encouraging for me but it makes me sad for so many others. Also, I feel that God has been maturing me to step into the role of mentor/teacher and I have been stubbornly resisting Him. I will think of this the next time He nudges me in that direction 🙂
RaD says:
Huh. I had to think about that one for a moment. With no “moral of the story” it kind of threw me for a second. You make a great point…
Cathy says:
Listen to the heart of the message, the intent behind the words. You can’t see the forest for the trees. Yeah, I felt that way too Shaun (that is, if we are, in fact, on the same wavelength here).
Sharon O says:
Oh so beautiful and so full of hope and life. Thank you.
Zoë says:
Have you ever thought about writing a book?
This is good. It made me stop and think. I like things that are not immediately obvious. It also works on many levels, which is also good. Makes it interesting. Bravo 🙂
Jerry says:
ahhh, the draw of mystery….hmmmm.
Thomas D says:
Practicing spiritual disciplines is the only way to bear the fruit of them
saravarghese says:
LOL- I hope that wasn’t suppose to be deep. That’S hilarious.
Christine says:
The man in black is like Satan telling us if we can just do all the spiritual stuff perfectly, we’ll be like God. Our depraved selves want to be like God.
If we listen and diligently do what the man in black tells us, we’ll never experience God. And that is what Satan wants…to prevent us from ever having the comfort of His grace and love. The comfort and love we can never earn.
If we achieve anything at all, it is because of God’s grace and power. And for God’s purposes.
Without Him, we will forever be stuck in the most basic existence.
Christine says:
I want to add something, I think.
The man in black made me shudder in horror. I still think he is Satan. He put his name on her book, making it like a false teaching? Beware of false teachers, who promise the abundant life?
Mollianne says:
Wow! Smacked me right between the eyes. Thank you…I think.
Shaun Groves says:
Some very interesting interpretations already! Anybody else?
Cathy says:
Can not wait to hear your follow-up and/or explanation. There will be one… right?
Teresa says:
We are to be obedient to God, whether we are ever “rewarded” for it here on earth or not. Fame and fortune, a spotlight, or even mere acknowledgement are not promised to us here. But one day, we’ll hear the biggest praise of all when He tells us “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” That’s worth obedience today, even if no one else notices.
Suzy says:
The moral is that you shouldn’t take things literally…kidding (sort of).
Meaning is found with the author, so I would love for Shaun to tell us…besides that, I was reminded of:
1 Cor. 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”
and then a metaphor between the law and the song book. The idea that God gave us the law, but also wants us to go beyond it to the heart behind all of our actions.
I dunno Shaun, break our suspense! : )
Christine says:
I think Suzy may be on to something with the heart and law metaphor. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Our faith is credited to us as righteousness. When the little girl never saw her name in lights, it means her name was never written in the Book of Life? She focused on the Law, at the expense of everything else, like a Pharisee? And her aim was to exalt herself, not glorify God?
Kelli says:
So basically you’re telling me that I will never be remembered for my soaring rendition of The Wind Beneathe My Wings, which is the only song I can still remember from my piano lesson days?
I’ll have you know that I play the EZ rendition of that song like no other….
No. Other.
JavaJoy says:
you are just trying to get your daughter to embrace her new and more difficult piano book?
Dad Groves says:
At the risk of embarrassing my son – here goes:
She practiced only the beginners book, kind of like Christians memorize ONLY John 3:16. Forty years of church membership – and only John 3:16!
Shaun Groves says:
Good guess, Dad. Close.
And not embarrassed in the least.
sharon says:
Okay, this one left me puzzled enough to have it pop in my mind several times today. I came back to read it again. I am getting that hope (even though false) coupled with promises can be provided to us by someone somewhere and then we put all our eggs in that basket because it is feeding what we wanted for ourselves. Never aspiring farther than that original childlike desire, settling for the status quo, looking neither to the left or the right seeking a fresh vision for our purpose and what we could accomplish through the power of the Spirit. The “maestro” threw out the hook and the child swallowed the bait. The grown up had the hook in so long that it was no longer even noticeable. Just the way things were, but pressing on to learn that basic tune. Whose advice are we seeking? Whose advice are we taking? Are we even asking the right questions?
Christine says:
My eight and ten year olds are loving this, but it’s driving me crazy. We have one more guess.
One of the most important themes in the Bible is humility.
Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
The little girl’s desire was to be a great piano player–to exalt herself in that world. Her lust was so great, it clouded her vision and she lost all perspective, never moving up to higher lessons.
Truly following God means we must seek His will for our lives–giving Him Lordship over us.