When We Need Tuning

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! ~ Psalm 139:23-24

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus ~ Romans 8:1

All of our children are learning to play the piano. They are expected to practice every day, working on scales, theory, melody, chords, all the different parts of music that combine to make beautiful sounds that they will love to play for years. At least that is our hope as parents!

One day as I sat down with our four year old to work on his pieces, he declared that the piano was broken. Sure enough, while five keys could be pushed down, they wouldn't rise again, and the sound was wrong. All the other children had practiced that day, yet no one had complained until I began to ask. Then they all confirmed that the piano was broken, but they had just gone through the motions of playing. 

I took off the piano lid and began to look around. A pile of tortilla chips was hidden on some strings, perhaps for a mid practice snack? While I cleaned those out and rid the piano of two pencils that had also fallen within, none of these messes impacted the five keys. Confused and irritated, I finally listened to my four year old's words, "I put money inside, I was hiding my money." And nestled under each piano key was a quarter, wedged all the way under, impossible to grab. Tweezers extracted the hidden treasure, and the piano began to play again. 

Often we can be like this piano in our walk with God. We will shove something within, want or desire, perhaps something important, something we treasure. But instead of benefitting or simply residing there, the wedge causes massive failure to a part of my life that should make music for the King. 

We may ignore it for a season, believing we don't have to use those notes. Then we begin to play the music that avoids that range, limiting our melodies. We may forget why our life's music is stunted. Until you and I seek Him again. Until we sit with our Teacher and allow Him to inspect us. As He begins to look within, He extracts what we have hidden, bringing into light the thoughts, beliefs, or longings that oppose His redemptive song. 

Our hope anchors in His grace. Unsurprised by the hidden, never shocked nor worried about removing the offending items, God does not condemn us. He knows that removal is critical for our playing for His glory. 

Where have you ignored stuck notes? Where are we settling for limited music because of things we have hidden or idols we have treasured? Search our hearts, lead us instead in the way everlasting, Lord. 

photo credit: @cbyoung