It’s rough being a violin player sometimes–especially when there are SO many others around you who are so much better than you. Even though I am a music minor, sometimes I feel like I should be just as good as the music majors my age. Of course that is ridiculous because not all the music majors are at the same level. But there are times when I get very discouraged with my playing. This last weekend wasn’t a good weekend for violin. I didn’t practice much, which was the number one reason, and my strings were old. While changing them yesterday, I discovered that my new D string was defective and had to go exchange it. It can be frustrating when you change strings anyway because they don’t like to stay in tune, and they’re not “broken in” yet, so they sound kinda scratchy.
I was talking to Eric, one of the worship leaders at my church, on Sunday morning, and he wanted to hear all about orchestra. He couldn’t believe that there were so many people better than me. I’m sure there are lots of people who think I sound really good, but I guess I’ve just been hard on myself lately. I hear others play so beautifully, and then my sound is all scratchy, and it doesn’t sound smooth and sweet like the really good players do. It looks so easy, but it’s so hard!
I almost forgot to read my Daily Bread devotion yesterday, but I’m glad it did. Since yesterday was Labor Day, the devotion was on working. The paragraph that stood out most to me from this devotion is this: “No matter what our task, it’s our duty to work for God’s glory. ‘Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.’ Colossians 3:23 In this sense, no job is better than another. Each should result in honor to God.”
In a way, playing violin is my job since I am a fulltime student and play in the orchestra. Tenth chair is just as important as first chair as long as I am honoring God with my playing. He is the One who gave me the talent of music, and my playing is just how He wants it.
“It’s not the hours you put in that count, but what you put in the hours.”