As I was growing up, those words, usually coming from my dad, were frequently heard in our house. We especially dreaded the question if we had neglected our practicing for a more favorable pastime like playing outside with friends. It was not pleasant when Dad found us and sent us inside to finish our practicing. We’d plunk ourselves down at the piano, and the ensuing music would be anything but joyous.

Since both of our parents quit piano lessons when they were children, they vowed that their children would not quit. Consequently, my brother, sister, and I were enrolled in piano lessons at a young age, and through the determination of my parents, we stuck with it. I’m very thankful for their determination now. We did not always enjoy the piano, but we had no choice. As we progressed and broadened our musical studies, my parents stressed to us that we were always to use our music to glorify the Lord. I remember going forward in a service when I was a teenager to dedicate my musical abilities to the Lord. Since that time, the Lord has given me many opportunities to minister through music that I would never have had otherwise.

Currently, my siblings and I attend a wonderful Christian university where we are preparing for a lifetime of music ministry. My parents now laugh when they think about how little they expected the children they were forcing to sit at the piano and practice their scales would someday be college music majors. Praise the Lord for parents who persevered and taught us to yield our lives and talents to the Lord!

Written by Melissa Stockard Myers. This article was published in the Spring 2007 edition of The Beautiful Spirit magazine.
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