BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR!
We always had a piano! With only a few lessons, my Dad mostly played by ear. He was good! Lisle took lessons and had a different style than my Dad. Jean played by ear. Her style was even more different than theirs. I wanted to learn to play the piano! Mom said we couldn’t afford lessons. My friend Iona Kay took lessons and offered to teach me how to read notes. I became her protege when we were in the 5th or 6th grade. Her piano teacher agreed to let me appear in one of Iona Kay’s piano recitals. We played a duet; The Little Chatterbox! I was so overwhelmed by our success that I wanted more. I practiced on my own for many years so that when I was a freshman in highschool I signed up for the beginners piano class. We were tested and I was transferred to the intermediate class because I could read notes. That was a mistake because I didn’t really know anything else, like timing, modulations. I didn’t even know what key I was playing in!

I always felt a little slighted because I couldn’t take piano lessons. Jeri had violin lessons, and Mom rented an accordion for Joyce. In the last half of my sophomore year I had to go home immediately after school so I could get the evening meal ready for the family. However, Joyce got to be on the drill team at school. She got to wear the little short skirt and boots with pom poms. Years later I would tease my sisters that Mom loved them best! They were younger than I was! I eventually figured out that by the time those things were wanted, finances were better.

After I married, Jean, Joetta, Jim and I took an evening piano class where we used cardboard as a piano and learned how to cord. I was now making progress! Joetta and I took a ladies class and I learned how to play Silver Bells, as it was written. I thought I was good! Joetta could play pretty good. Jewel, even could play but I still struggled because I never had the natural talent that the others had. I use to pray that one day I would play good enough to be the church pianist. Fat chance of that, but I prayed anyway!

As some churches do, ours had a split. The split was big enough that all the pianists left. We had an organist and bless Leta’s heart she allowed me to play along with her. That was a good thing because she understood timing. Halfway into my 15 years as a church pianist, I remembered my prayers. WOW! It is true, that we should be careful what we pray for. I was not very good but the congregation thought I was good enough. I was a church pianist! I played at Leta’s memorial service some of the songs she would play for communion. Faithful and caring Leta! Her skills were evident but her willing to lead me was a God send!

Many times we read the scriptures on prayer and skip right over the conditions. The following are just a few of my favorite scriptures on prayer. "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith". Matthew 21:22; "Having enough faith as a grain of a mustard seed, you could move mountains, with prayer and fasting you could say ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible to you"! Matthew 17:20-2; "Whatever we ask in prayer and believe that you have received it, it will be yours". Mark 11:24; "If we have anything against anyone, we are to forgive them". Mark 11:25; "Continue in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" Colossians 4:2b; "We are to pray with thanksgiving when we make our requests known" Philippians 4:6b; "We are to have clean hands and a pure heart! Psalm 24:1-6. The last one on my list is Hebrews 4:14-16 where Paul tells us to approach the throne with confidence. Jesus is our confidence!. He is the son!. He is our bridge to the Father!. Through Jesus Christ we can say to the Father; Your will, no more and no less. Not mine Father, but always your will be done! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 2/6/08