Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Concentration (07/24/08)
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TITLE: The Gift | Previous Challenge Entry
By Nancy Riley
07/28/08 -
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In 1st grade, Victoria brought her prized possession to show and tell. It was her favorite because she had sewn the doll herself out of scrap fabric from her mother’s sewing room. With pride she walked to the front of the class ready to show off her beautiful handmade creation. Before she even uttered a word, Rick began to laugh from the back of the room. Not a polite muffled laugh, but a full out, you’ve got to be kidding, sarcastic laugh. That prompted the others to join in, the ones who always seemed to belong and let her know in no uncertain terms that she didn’t.
Now that sick, embarrassing feeling came rushing back. A belated realization everyone else finds utterly obvious. You foolishly believed you found real gold when all you really possessed was a worthless piece of rock.
Glancing at the piano, Victoria was struck with terror at the thought of sitting at it in front of the entire congregation to play. In a few minutes, her moment would come.
“What if I blow it? What if I’m really not very good?”
No, she must concentrate. Her father’s words echoed inside her, “What you focus on you make room for”.
For hours and hours she had played this piece until she could feel the melody blowing through her like a wind graceful and strong guiding her across an ocean of sound. She concentrated on the beauty of the music and the rapture she felt as the act of moving her fingers across the black and white keys captured her essence as if possessed by a force outside of her self.
The announcement of her name broke through her thoughts. Walking to the piano she fought to keep the fear from rising up by concentrating on just God, the piano and herself.
“Lord, give me peace and courage. May this bless you and bring you glory.”
Placing her fingers on the smooth, familiar keys, she took a deep breath, exhaling the fear and began to play. At first, it felt mechanical, like she was a programmed machine pressing the correct sequence of keys. She turned her focus on the music resonating deep within her and it made her come alive, like she was born for this. Her hands began to sweep across the keyboard and the magnificent image of the power and glory of a king filled the atmosphere of the sanctuary.
As she finished, it was as if the piano actually sang the words, “And He shall reign, forever and ever. King of kings and Lord of lords. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”
The precious jewel within her that would gleam through the music she played had emerged and the audience exploded with praise and worship to the giver of this wonderful talent they just experienced.
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