Hard lessons

My dear daughter is taking piano lessons as I have mentioned before, and is doing quite well. When she first started I never had to remind her to practice. Every time she walked by the piano she would play a song or two, run through her scales and then hop on to the next thing to occupy her time.



As time has worn on though, the days can tick by without a spontaneous note being struck. If I remind her, she willingly sits and plays for 20 minutes or so, but it needs to be mentioned to her. If I don't bring it up, she doesn't play....and so here we were today.



Realizing a lesson was coming up and no practicing had been happening for sometime, she sat and began to play. It didn't come as easily as it sometimes does, and so she was frustrated. I tried to help her along and remind her of what she knew how to do. I reminded her that as the novelty of taking lessons wore off the hard work of practicing would catch up with her. And with a sigh, and a tear on her cheek she said this deep insight:



I wish I could learn it without having to actually learn it.


Ah Lord, how many lessons do I wish you would teach me without me actually having to do the learning bit.

I want you to teach me patience, without making me wait; teach me humility, without making me look foolish; teach me contentment, without denying me the things I want; teach me sacrificial love, without actually costing me anything.

But you don't work that way. So let me be a willing student as you are the perfect, patient tutor.