The Pinecone
|
February 2015
• 9 •
f r om Don J oh n s on , K i r b y P i n e s Chap l a i n
Chaplain’s COrner
February
Vesper Services
February 5th
Reverend Jeremy Jones
Independent Presbyterian Church
February 12th
Reverend Joe Piercey
United Methodist Pastor
February 19th
Reverend Les Helton
Collierville Baptist Church
February 26th
Matthew Mitchell
Woodland Hills Church of Christ
A mother, wishing to encourage her
young son in his progress in piano playing,
purchased tickets for a concert by renowned
pianist Ignace Paderewski. When the
performance night arrived they both found
their seats near the front of the concert hall.
The boy in wide-eyed amazement stared at
the majestic piano on the stage. The mother
began talking to a friend sitting nearby
and failed to notice her son slip away. As
the house lights dimmed and the spotlight
lit the stage piano, the woman gasped as
she saw her son at the piano bench, slowly
picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
Before the mother could retrieve her son,
the famous concert pianist appeared on
stage and quickly moved to the keyboard.
“
Don’t quit—keep playing” he whispered
to the boy. Leaning over, Paderewski
reached down with his left hand and
began filling in a bass part. Then with his
right arm, he reached around the other
side, encircling the child, to add a running
obligato. Together, the old master and the
young novice mesmerized the crowd.
What a picture of life as it is and as it
can become. How often our skills seem
insignificant. There is yet so much to
learn…so many steps to take…so many
steps yet to come. Our efforts may appear
amateurish, simplistic, restricted. That’s
when we need not only the example but the
involvement of One who is the Master.
He does not push us away or
begrudgingly stand by to observe our feeble
attempts at making music of our life. He
comes to where we are and wondrously
adds His Gift and Strength. Wrapping His
arms around us He fills the music with notes
and rhythm we could never add. With firm
foundations and whirling crescendos our
“
Twinkle, Twinkle” is transformed into a
Master’s masterpiece.
And what is His message to us? What
does He speak to us in the secret intimacy
of the moment? He says, “Don’t quit—keep
playing.”
Some of us do not respond rightly. We
reject His help and stop playing. Our music,
without Him, goes nowhere.
Keep Playing. . . Don ’t Quit
But if we listen to His words, if we follow
His counsel, life, however simple it may
seem, will blend with His encouragement
to us and astound all those around us. The
world will never be impressed with our
small talent, but it will be touched by what
our music becomes with His touch and
blessing.
This happened to me. I was a teenaged
“
Twinkle.”HewrappedHis arms of gracious
love and infinite wisdom around me. Others
were touched by the amplified music that
followed. One so touched wrote: “It
started the last week of December,
1953,
when 1500 people packed
the South Hall of Ellis Auditorium
in downtown Memphis. I, John
Bomar, a junior at Central High
School, reluctantly joined my parents
at the first Christmas For Christ Youth
Crusade sponsored by a fledgling group of
Memphis young people who had started
the Teenagers For Christ youth movement.
John watched in almost disbelief as some
of his classmates formed a choir that
stretched across the auditorium stage. The
lighted four section banner across the stage
footlights read, “Life is Short…Death Is
Sure…Sin The Curse…Christ The Cure.”
John listened as a number of the young
people stood center stage and related how
Christ had changed their life, helped them
at home and in school, and brought purpose
and direction to each day. A thirteen year
old soloist named Beverly Scott sang “It Is
No Secret” with strength and intensity that
far outweighed her petite statue. Another of
John’s high school buddies, Sammy White,
used his tenor voice to perform the song
“
The Love Of God.” Then Don Johnson,
one of the group’s founders, stepped forth
with a message that exceeded greatly what
John would expect from a 16 year old.”
In recalling this special day in his life,
John said, “Somehow, as we left Ellis
Auditorium and started toward the car, I
could sense that my life would never be the
same again. John joined our Teenagers For
Christ youth movement and became one of
its speakers in meetings and on our weekly
radio program. John entered the ministry
and became the senior pastor of one church
for 48 years.
Hear the Master’s words
strong and true. “Don’t
quit—keep playing.”
“
You will show me the path of life; In
your presence is fullness of joy; At your
right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:11
Till next time,
Don Johnson, KP Chaplain
