Not my picture. Not my grandbaby. Not my piano. BUT I do have a picture just like this and I can't find it. Do y'all ever put things in a "good place" and then can't find them???
This blog will not be about misplacing things, but it will, however, give you even more information about our precious little grandson. You did want to know more, right? Have I mentioned that we have a grandbaby?
Benny, our two year old grandson, has already taught me so much practical stuff. Just when I think I might be one step ahead of him, he comes up with something new that just totally amazes me. (But that's a grandparent thing, right?) And the most wonderful thing that I love about Benny is that he has many, many other people in his life who love him just as much as I do; not only does he have two sets of grandparents, he also has great grandparents; he even has a great great grandmother; all this in addition to aunts and uncles and cousins. What a blessed little boy he is! And how wonderful that he has endless opportunities to learn from all those he loves, and then, in turn, teach us all from the prospective of a toddler.
So let me just tell you about Benny and his world. When he comes to our house here in the middle of the cow pasture in the middle of nowhere, he is totally thrilled with everything he sees. (Usually.) He likes to touch and hold everything. And I mean everything. Every book within his reach on the bookcase gets pulled and carefully thrown on the floor beside the coffee table. All the kitchen utensils and silverware are carefully dumped in the big kitchen drawer with the pots and pans. Every toy has to be lined up just right on the floor beside the carefully thrown books. Everything in the refrigerator must be taste tested and must meet with his approval. Every shoe in my closet must be worn and then carefully piled back on my closet floor. Are y'all getting the picture? Our baby loves the comfort of his routine, while at the same time loving the chance to explore all things new. (And this has nothing to do with where I'm going with this blog, but I've got to tell you this: I may have spoiled his just a little. Several visits ago I made the mistake of letting him "help me" wash dishes, which involved him getting his chubby little feet in the soapy water too. We blew soap bubbles. We sprayed water all over the kitchen. We played in the sink several times that first day of washing dishes. So I couldn't help but laugh when he was here this weekend; he came in the back door and made a beeline for the kitchen sink. Oh how I love this baby!)
So are you thinking "what's this got to do with octaves on a piano"? And will there be some feeble attempt at a spiritual analogy? I'll tell you. In a minute.
But first, more about my grandbaby. (You did want to know, right?) His dad has given him a harmonica; or at least they share a harmoica. He will play his little tunes and then just laugh and laugh. There is a You Tube video about a baby who is about Benny's age who is playing a harmonica. So Benny will play the harmonica and dance while the You Tube baby plays his harmonica. Precious! He loves to dance and sing along with the Baby Shark Song. (Got that one stuck in your head now?) And he loves his guitars; he has one for tunes and another one for swatting at things. He just loves music. (And swatting at things.) He can dance like nobody's watching. He's got some moves! And he loves his music of all kinds.
So it was no surprise when he discovered my piano and fell in love with it as well.
But here's what I learned. I usually sit beside Benny on the piano bench and make sure that he's pulled up close enough to reach the keys, usually the ones in the middle of the keyboard. But this past weekend while playing his piano tunes, he pushed me out of his way so that he could play every single key on the keyboard, not just the two octaves in the middle. My piano skills are minimal at best, and my comfort zone is pretty much the two octaves in the middle. I don't know how to change keys. I don't know how to read music. I just stay in my comfort zone. But my grandson was showing me that there is pretty music to be made outside the reach of those two octaves in the middle.
Here it comes.
And isn't that just what God tries to show us about our own lives? How much more beautiful life could be if we tried reaching out from our comfort zone to discover other beautiful things that He may have in store for us! And it's not always just about US; it really should be about everyone else first. What can we do for others that may take us out of our comfort zone? My list is already a mile long. I get so complacent thinking that going to church is enough; praying for someone is enough; reading my Bible is enough. But is it really? I know the answer to that.
The very One who loves us the very most has not suggested, but commanded, that we love our neighbors as ourselves. Who is our neighbor and what can we do to show them God's love? Let's get out of our comfort zone and go show some love!
"Someone, somewhere, is depending on you to do what God has called you to do."
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you clothed me,
I was sick and you visited me,
I was in prison and you came to me.
Matthew 25:35-36
That's our boy!
May this precious boy always know that he is loved,
but more importantly, may we as his family teach him about a love greater than we could ever offer.
"Jesus loves the little children."
May this little child one day come to love Jesus as well!