Craig Clouston

Refuse to Quit

I will strengthen you and help you.
Isaiah 41:10

Darla slouched at the piano, discouraged; her little fingers didn't stretch far enough. Each time she tried to play full chords, a sour note resounded from the piano. “I’ll never get it right,” she said in distress. “My hands are just too small.”
With complete understanding, Mrs. Netching placed her arm around Darla’s shoulders and said, “Darla, when I was your age, my fingers didn't reach either, and I wanted to quit. But my mother wouldn't allow it. She told me I would one day appreciate the hard work of today. So I determined to make the best of things by playing well the things I could, understanding that someday my fingers would grow long enough to reach all the keys. I want to share with you what my piano teacher taught me.” Rising from the bench, she stood behind Darla, reached around her, and asked her to play the single-note melody for the music in front of her.
As Darla began to play the simple notes, Mrs. Netching began to accompany her, adding the chords that were impossible for Darla to play. The resulting harmony was beautiful!
“Can we do that again?” Darla asked, excited by the rich sound they had created.
“Why sure, honey,” Mrs. Netching responded. “Just remember this day when your lessons are hard. Don’t let today’s limitations dictate tomorrow’s potential. Keep practicing; commit yourself to doing the best you can. Refuse to quit, and I promise someday you will be an accomplished musician.”

†

Life is full of difficult lessons. And there are moments that the only thing we want is to quit. But quitting in the midst of trouble is accepting defeat without bringing all the power of heaven to bear on our situation.
Like Mrs. Netching, God wants to orchestrate our lives, accompanying and encouraging us until we are capable of reaching further in faith.
As the Master comes alongside us, it’s His skill that causes our lives to become something beautiful. And the music is heard the way it’s meant to be. God wants us to fight when things get rough and refuse to quit.

Prayer

“I need an awful lot of help, Lord. Please be patient with me while I get this thing called life right. Amen.”