Accompaniment

[WARNING! There is a video in this post that you simply must watch. However, it is a tear-jerker. Grab the kleenex. Consider yourself warned.]

 I don't know how many of you know this about me, but I have most of my formal training in music. I started taking piano lessons at age seven, got a music scholarship, majored in music, and have a degree in Piano Pedagogy, which is teaching piano privately. 

 So I am a huge admirer of high-quality musicians. And when asked if I'd seen this performance by Kelly Clarkson the other night, I knew I already loved her voice. [She's singing "Piece by Piece" on the final season of American Idol. Please stop and watch it now if you haven't yet.] The first time I watched it, I was mesmerized by her voice and her words and her tears and the power of the song. 

 But the second time I watched it, the musician in me took over and I paid attention to something else: the accompaniment. You saw it: in the background, a beautiful grand piano played by a man who was so talented & prepared he didn't even bring music. The accompaniment gave her the key and tempo to start correctly, carried her through the silent moments, supported her by getting loud when she was loud and backing off when she was quiet. And when the song got off track, the accompaniment was there all along: steady, ready for her to re-enter, holding on to the song when she had to stop and collect herself.

 I couldn't figure out why the accompaniment hit me much more powerfully than the song. I pondered it for several days and then the Holy Spirit brought the truth to my mind: 

 This is what friendship looks like, sitting happily in the background, needing no score or text to be the perfect addition. Friends give us what we need to get our bearings to start something new, whether it's a craft project or a job or a relationship. Friends aren't bothered by silence; they can handle waiting, continuing their peaceful harmony as they wait patiently. Friends support us by reflecting our moods and our volume. And when we get off track, they were there all along: steady, ready for us to get back to ourselves, holding on to the song that contains the history and melody of all our years of being friends. 

 Proverbs 17:17 tells us that "a friend loves at all times," and my heart instantly goes to my favorite friendship in the Bible: David and Jonathan. If you'll remember, Saul was the King of Israel and he intensely, passionately, insanely hated David. David was the young, handsome, brave, God-fearing shepherd boy who had defeated the giant Goliath and won the hearts of the people (1 Samuel 17). And Saul's son, Jonathan, was like David in many ways: he loved God and trusted Him to win his battles, he was brave, and he wasn't afraid to fight. The king's son and the king's enemy became "one in spirit" and we are told that Jonathan loved David as himself (1 Samuel 18:1). But there was much more to this friendship than we see on the surface: Because Jonathan obeyed and trusted God, he was willing to give up his own right to be king in order to honor God's plan to make David king (1 Samuel 18:3-4). 

 He took what was rightly his--the throne of Israel--and gave it to his friend. Not only because he loved David, but because first He loved God. The friendship, built on faith in God and strengthened by covenant with each other, glorified God as it carried out His perfect plan. Jonathan was perfectly willing to be David's accompaniment, and going even so far as to protect him from death (1 Samuel 20).

 Jesus Himself described friendship this way: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." Sounds like Jonathan. But Jesus goes on to say, "You are my friends if you do what I command" (John 15:13-14, italics mine). He's not talking about you and your earthly friendships here; he's talking about your friendship with Him. With Jesus. 

 Jesus already proved that He is your very best friend in the whole entire world because He died for your sins. He laid down His life for you. We, in turn, lay down our lives for Jesus by denying ourselves, picking up our cross daily, and following Him (Luke 9:23). He taught us love: laying down our lives. 

 And we, like Him, lay down our lives for others (1 John 3:16). Not on a cross like He did, but by choosing to give up our rights like Jonathan did: 

 We give up our right to be right.
We give up our right to be in charge.
We give up our right to hold a grudge.
We give up our right to not forgive.
We give up our right to talk badly about her even if it's the truth.
We give up our right to make sure she says, "I'm sorry" first.

 When we choose to love our friends as Jesus loved us, we bring glory to God. By laying down our rights for our friends, we demonstrate the love of Christ. We love them best when we love Him first.

 The perfect accompaniment.
@leslienotebook
myleslienotebook@gmail.com

  


  

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