Edify and Encourage

My friend Monica recently sent me an email that was meant to encourage me. Monica is wonderful at offering encouragement, and she is pretty awesome at edification, too. I got her permission to use the message in the blog. As you read the following, notice how encouragement and edification produce joy!

I brought your heart situation to my Sunday school class and this evening to my choir for prayer. There are a lot of people who really know how to pray there.

Meanwhile I'm having an inordinate amount of fun with the bass guitar. Today Ken, the music minister who plays 7 or 10 instruments, pronounced that I'm doing fabulously! However, reality check; when I was buying the guitar and the amp, the people in the store who *really* know how to play, and how to set the amps for their playing, really did play wonderfully. The first amp I considered was too much for me; a matter of technique, it showed up everything especially the treble. The second one I can damp down more and besides it sounds almost mellow instead of  real brassy or bright, which is more 'me' anyway. Then this evening I was a tad early to ladies ensemble (singers) and Ken was playing his electric guitar (I have never seen him with one, wonder if it's new, will ask tomorrow). He put in a CD and was playing to it; wow, wow is all I can say. It was extremely interesting to realize the patterns he was overlaying. Not merely accompanying. It was amazing, solo work. And yet he encourages me for my progress, without a hint of 'good for merely a few months' but instead 'really good'. Diehl's mother, the church organist who was *extremely* talented, used to say when she listened to her LP records of E. Power Biggs playing Bach, she felt as though she should just cut off her fingers, since she'd never be able to attain his level, the level she could hear and understand. So I am going to continue on and keep learning, even though I'm certainly no master at this. Such a blessing. Today at the bluegrass rehearsal, while we were eating beforehand, I said that I could still hardly take in that I am allowed to do this! And Ken said that's the way he feels, it's such a privilege for him to do all the music.

This evening Pastor Joel talked about Joy, and how the Spirit moves where He will, and that we cannot through willpower make ourselves full of joy, and that yet we are commanded to be filled with joy, to rejoice, and again I say rejoice! Because our God is worth everything. What a privilege to be His! You are one of the people I have met who just bubble over with joy of and in the Lord. I know that doesn't mean you don't have concerns about yourself and those you love, but your bubbly witness is a great encouragement.

Blessings
Monica

Monica so often hits the nail right on the head and she causes me to be humbled and excited when she accurately says: “What a privilege to be His!”

Your brother in Christ,

Dave