The other day I was musing in the car about life, past and present. The song "Live Like You are Dying" came on, creating new thoughts in my mind with a country twang.
I was driving on my way to get to, in a small way, serve someone. I began to examine my heart and attitude praying for one that was right. The radio faded as memories came back, thoughts of my grandma, how I still miss her. If only I had known, if only I had lived like she was dying.
My Great Grandma just loved to hear me play the piano. She was my best audience. She would sit right by the piano with a big smile on her face, when the poor instrument stopped banging and moaning she would clap as if I were the best concert pianist in the world...with those sweet, wrinkled hands of hers.
After a few years of lessons playing started to become more of a chore. "Playing" should not have contained the word "play", it was work, as most all worthwhile things are. By this time grandma was in a nursing home, she didn't come to us, we went to her. There was still a piano to play but it was in a big room where I assumed all of the dear older people were scrutinizing my playing. In actuality the occupants of that room, for the most part, could not even hear what I was playing, but just loved to watch a young person. What should have been a delight and an act of service I started to dread. I remember specifically one visit where my mom told me to bring my music. Sadly in my ten year old mind, which was neither heaven focused nor grandma focused, I inwardly rebelled. There were other things that I wanted to do, why should I have to sit in front of "so many" people and play?
She passed away not long after that, those days spent in the hospital with her were heartbreaking. There was grandma, glowing with her love for us, and I couldn't have even spent the time to serve her when I had the opportunity. Oh, what I would have given to play for her again, to see her smile!
When I think of my grandma I am reminded to:
serve while you have the opportunity, for His glory, by His grace, through His strength, for an eternal reward.
2 comments:
Very thoughtful and convicting post. Reading it stirred a prayer in my heart that was similar to "Lord, I lean on you as the One who served perfectly in my place. The One who died for my lack of serving" May we always grow in our likeness to our Saviour! Great reminder Shelby!
yes I agree with Kels. Thank you for that reminder my dear! I think it is so very important, especially right now in our lives when it can be so easy to push serving aside in the midst of our "busy-ness".
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