When God Fine-Tunes the Melody

“Mrs. Mooney will be here in 15 minutes! Have you practiced?” 

Every Tuesday afternoon, I would hear my mom’s familiar warning. Panic would immediately set in because, of course, I hadn’t practiced all week. Not Sunday night. Not Monday. Not even a little. So there I’d be, frantically pounding through scales and stumbling through songs, somehow believing I could make up seven days of neglect in fifteen minutes. 🎹

I didn’t enjoy piano lessons. I thought Mrs. Mooney was mean, mostly because she expected things like practice, preparation, and improvement. Eventually, after observing my complete lack of interest and commitment, she suggested to my mom that maybe piano just wasn’t for me. I remember her saying she would drop the piano key cover on my hands if I didn’t improve by the next week’s lesson! What?? That was scary. 😳

Looking back now, I wanted progress without practice. I wanted to play beautiful music (not just the simplified version of The Entertainer, or the iconic Chopsticks and a few Christmas songs) without the discipline needed to create it. 

And if I’m honest, I sometimes approach my spiritual life the same way. I want peace without surrender, growth without discomfort, and transformation without the steady, daily work of allowing God to shape me. 

I love this wonderful truth: God doesn’t quit on reluctant learners. He stays with us, lesson after lesson, patiently creating harmony where there once was resistance. He steadily retunes us over time — adjusting what’s drifted, refining what’s off-key, and drawing gorgeous music from hearts that don’t always cooperate. 🤍

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” 🎼 

~ Psalm 40:3 (NIV)

This Eric Church commencement speech was my inspiration for writing this article. Check it out—it's an awesome speech!!