I Believe in Christ!

Today was a good day. No...let me rephrase that. Today was a GREAT day! But before I tell you about today, I'm going to back up and tell you about the past few weeks.  I'm the Ward Choir Director this semester, so within the first few weeks of the semester, I had to go to a stake-wide training for music people. While there, we practiced the song that the stake choir was going to sing in Stake Conference. We practiced with the piano...and then they asked the girl who played the piano if she knows how to play the organ. Well, she didn't and so they asked for a volunteer. Before it registered in my head what I was doing, my hand was in the air volunteering to play the song in Stake Conference. On the organ. LaKesha turned to me and was like "You don't play the organ." To which I replied, "Well I guess I do now." Over the past 3 weeks I have spent countless hours practicing the organ. We sang Mack Wilberg's arrangement of "I Believe in Christ." (Click on title to see the MoTab perform the very song that I had to learn.) The words "arranged by Mack Wilberg" are kind of scary...it means that the song is gonna be intense. And it was. I practiced, and I practiced, and I practiced. I made special trips to IF just so I could practice the organ. I didn't know why I volunteered...because I didn't know how to play the organ. At the first choir practice, I just played on the piano because there was no organ. That was okay. I could handle that...after 2 weeks of constant practice. It was by no means perfect...and didn't have my feet playing their part either. But I knew that I had two more weeks to be able to get it down. I had one of my FHE brothers give me a blessing

Last Sunday, we had another choir practice. This time with the organ. To say that I screwed up is an understatement. I slaughtered the song. Absolutely slaughtered it. I fought back tears. After the choir practice, one of the sisters in the stake who's over the music asked me if I was sure I would be able to get it by today. Ouch.  I came home and sobbed. I didn't know if I would be able to do it. On Monday, I had Dad give me a blessing, and that helped to calm my fears, and gave me the confidence I needed to be able to play it in Conference today. I spent hours practicing. Hours and hours and hours.

Last night, we had practice after the evening meeting. As I sat at the organ and perfectly played the part that I've screwed up every other time that I've played that song, I had to fight back my tears. I couldn't believe it...I'd done it! I had learned that song! But not only that, I had proven to myself that I really can play the organ. I was on cloud 9. Skip, the choir director, looked at me amazed. I can only imagine the look of shock that I had on my face. That was the first time I'd actually been able to play that song without mistakes. He told me that he didn't envy me at all...while everyone would see him, they would HEAR me. "No pressure or anything," he told me.

Well, last night I prayed hard. This morning I prayed hard. During practice, I prayed hard. And while we performed the song, well, I prayed hard. And I felt others praying for me as well. I messed up a couple of times...but I think that I'm probably the only person who knew it. In four weeks, I went from not being able to play the organ at all, but not only that--telling myself that I couldn't play the organ...or the piano for that matter--to being able to play the organ. Four weeks ago, the only way I could play that song was with the bass coupler and using my hands for as many of the foot notes that I could. Today, I'm pleased to announce that every single note that is supposed to be played with the feet, was played with my feet. I have proved to myself that I can play the organ. Okay, and I admit...four weeks ago, I wouldn't have even attempted a song like that on the piano. Let alone the organ.

I have such a strong testimony of my Savior and everything that He has done for me. I know without a doubt that He was there helping me today. Four weeks ago when I volunteered to play the organ, I didn't know why I did. I just knew that I did. And i had a feeling that there was a reason. Today, I have a much clearer picture of what that reason is. I have been able to gain the confidence in myself to play the piano. To play the organ. And to arrange songs (but that is another story for another day.) Todays' message is that I believe in Christ! I know that He is my Savior. I know that He loves me. And I know that He is with me every step of the way, guiding my path.