Imperfect though we may be

April 27, 2017

Sunday during Sacrament Meeting, I was playing the "organ" as the ever so talented Sister Albrecht was traveling with her husband. I hit my sour notes here and there and cringed at my ineptness, but continued on of course. My dear sweet Gentz was conducting the meeting in German as he does every week because his counselors (who are German) don't feel comfortable doing it yet. He never feels like he is getting the language completely, and freezes up on some words. He keeps doing it week after week of course. Then I was sitting there listening to the talks via the translating headphones and Elder Benitz, young German missionary was translating as best he could (tough job). I looked over at him and he mouthed, "I'm sorry, I'm doing the best I can"! There all three of us were, imperfect in what we were doing, but continuing on. It was another lesson to me of how it is only Satan who gets on us when we aren't "perfect". With the Savior, He is right there, encouraging, loving us for making the effort and inspiring us to improve. I was once again filled with love for my Savior and gratitude for the fact that we are loved in spite of all of our imperfections. We are not only loved, we are given the opportunities to overcome, to be made stronger and to be MORE as we apply his enabling power in our lives.

I recently re read this experience that President Faust shared in General Conference that  thought applied here. He related the following story of a little boy whose mother purchased tickets to a concert featuring the great Polish concert pianist Paderewski. He explained:

“The night of the concert arrived and the mother and son found their seats near the front of the concert hall. While the mother visited with friends, the boy slipped quietly away.
“Suddenly, it was time for the performance to begin and a single spotlight cut through the darkness of the concert hall to illuminate the grand piano on stage. Only then did the audience notice the little boy on the bench, innocently picking out ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’
“His mother gasped, but before she could move, Paderewski appeared on stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy, ‘Don’t quit. Keep playing.’ And then, leaning over, the master reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.”

President Faust then summed up the story with this lesson:
“In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us and whispers in our ear, time and time again, ‘Don’t quit. Keep playing.’ And as we do, He augments and supplements until a work of amazing beauty is created. He is right there with all of us, telling us over and over, ‘Keep playing.’” 

The Apostle Paul bore his own powerful witness that the Lord’s grace strengthens us in our weakness, as we read in 2 Corinthians: “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

Ah, He is making more of us than we  could ever make of ourselves, isn't He? In the words of CS Lewis, we just wanted a cabin, and He is making out of us a Palace. Above all, He loves us...we are His work and His glory as is everyone on earth. I hope to continually improve and help a few others along the way. I hope that wherever you are in this journey of life, that you just keep on playing, keep on enjoying your life, loving yourself in spite of your imperfections and know that the Master is always nearby, appreciating your efforts and making you equal to the task. Just don't quit!! Keep playing!