The Princess at The Piano

Last week a princess came for a piano lesson. She wore her tiara throughout the lesson, and of course played beautifully, as a princess should! She is a gifted child musically who is able to sight read her songs and read the words accompanying them at the same time! She sings on pitch and, according to her Mom, spends her playtime humming and singing almost without pause. This six year old has been diagnosed with Crohn's disease. She will need more than ordinary support to carry her through the coming years as she and her family adjust to her condition. A tiara is one of her responses now; in coming days who knows what it may take. Her gift of music may help. Certainly prayer will be her mainstay. She will need to take what God has given her and celebrate it all, Crohn's and music, and a great deal more. If she can one day talk about the "gift of Crohn's" she will have arrived at a place of intense spiritual maturity. I heard, about a year ago, a woman named Gianna Jessen talk about the gift,--yes the gift !-- of her Cerebral Palsy. She was burned with acid in her mother's womb during a failed abortion and now experiences some difficulty with her limbs as a result. But her reliance on God and her acceptance of who she is are astonishing and humbling. Hers is a voice that children with Crohn's and other difficult diseases need to hear. I believe that this young child is one of God's many gifts to me. In my prayer she becomes a focus of needs far greater than mine. She also helps me to remember that any sort of talent is precious in the eyes of God, but in the end is not enough to rely upon. It is easy to forget that praise for a beautiful performance only lasts for a speck of time compared with the love of God which sustains us for a lifetime and more. Please join me in praying for my student princess and for all children with serious needs.