Can't Play Much Music On A Broken Guitar

Don't you just love it when you come up with that one perfect present for someone who's impossible to buy for? This may come easy for some of you, but I start thinking about what to give to whom long before birthdays or Christmas. Now my family might beg to differ, because it's pretty much a given that every Christmas there will be socks and underwear; that tradition hasn't filtered down to birthday presents - yet. But I always try to outdo myself with originality, although sometimes those intentions may be completely lost on the recipient. It's also a standing joke for me to announce that I've spent the same amount on everyone. (Background: When the boys were little there had to be the same exact number of gifts for each one under the tree. Y'all know what I'm talking about! But then as they got older, I wanted to make sure that they understood that there was no favoritism shown, regardless of the amount of gifts. Guilty mother complex. And just for the record, last year I got within a dollar for every single person. And really, no one cares except ME.)

A few years ago I crowned myself as Best Gift Giver Ever. I had finally found the perfect gift for my impossible-to-buy-for son. He lives and breathes every type of music and has seen almost all his favorite musicians in concerts over the years. Music isn't just his hobby; he even works at a guitar store - his dream job. So several years ago, it was getting down to the wire and I had nothing but socks and underwear for my impossible-to-buy-for son for Christmas. I was afraid that might be my ticket to the nursing home. But then after much Pinteresting and web surfing, I found a website that offered jewelry made from guitar strings from well-known musicians, along with a certificate of authenticity. Bingo! I was so excited that I had finally found the perfect gift, although just a little guilt ridden that, except for the socks and underwear, he would only have one tiny gift under the tree, as this gift just barely came within budget. But it was a winner, and I honestly think I might have been happier over this broken guitar string bracelet than impossible-to-buy-for son was because I had finally knocked the ball out of the park with the ultimate perfect gift. A broken guitar string.

So then I got to thinking about broken strings on a guitar. Although one broken string might not render the whole guitar useless, it would certainly compromise any attempt of a musical arrangement. We have a young man in our church who I think could actually make beautiful music if the guitar only had one string or if the piano had only one key - he is that talented. (He literally learned to play the piano in one day and has been playing beautiful music in church ever since. How very proud God must be of this young man!) But most of the rest of us don't have quite that much talent and I'm afraid if I had a guitar and the string broke, I'd probably just have to set it aside and render it useless. (Clarification: I cannot play the guitar, but oh how I wish I could!) We have several others in our church who can sit down at the piano and beautiful music just happens. Seemingly effortless. I'm not one of them either. (Another clarification: Sometimes God does indeed lay it on my heart to play the piano, but it's for Him only and usually isn't much more than a joyful noise. I assure you it doesn't come effortlessly; it almost always involves shaking hands, queasy stomach, and the fight or flight response. God has such a sense of humor sometimes.)

But back to the broken strings.

We all have them, don't we? Jesus Christ comes into our hearts and cleans us up and makes us new and squeaky clean, but then, like the guitar, we have one tiny problem, yet totally fixable - like the guitar string. But we put ourselves back on that old dusty shelf because we've become broken. What was once an instrument capable of beautiful music has now become something in the way, just collecting dust. I've been there. I've had problems in my life that I thought were too much for God to handle, so I sat in the corner collecting dust, being totally unproductive in my spiritual life. Is this what God had in mind when He created us for fellowship with Him? I think not. Because you see, He knows exactly how to fix that broken string. He can put the shattered pieces of our lives back together and make something beautiful. A new song.

So get your guitar strings fixed. Play some music that others need to hear. Play something pretty; play something joyful. There just might be someone who needs to hear what you can do.

I don't know who Saint Francis is and didn't take the time to consult Wikipedia, but I've heard this prayer for years and it just speaks to my heart. I hope it speaks to you as well.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.