Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano,
a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert.
After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing
the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way
through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE."
When the houselights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered
that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtain parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.
In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking
out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little
Star."
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano and whispered in
the boy's ear. "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and
began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running
obligato.
Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully
creative experience. And the audience was mesmerized.
Whatever our situation in life and history -- however outrageous, however desperate, whatever dry spell of the
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spirit, whatever dark night of the soul -- God is whispering deep within our beings, "Don't quit. Keep playing.
You are not alone; together we will transform the broken tatters into a masterwork of my creative art. Together,
we will mesmerize the world with our song of peace."
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