The Organ

A story is told about one of the great master musicians. During a holiday he visited a town where there was a Church in which was a magnificent organ. The musician being anxious to try the instrument, asked for permission to play upon it, but as he was not known to the official in charge of the building, the request was at first refused. At length the musician used his powers of persuasion to such advantage that the required permission was given.

The master musician went to the console of the organ and commenced to play. At first a very smooth flowing melody came, which suggested the calm of a fine summer's evening. Presently, the theme changed, and the sound of wind and the distant rumbling of thunder could be heard; these sounds seem to grow louder and louder, until the music represented the full blast of a furious storm, and the Church official sitting in the nave, almost imagined that an actual storm had burst over the building. Presently, amidst the sound of wind and thunder, proceeding from the organ, could be heard the strains of the hymn-prayer, "Eternal Father, strong to save," etc. As the notes of this fine tune ended, the thunderings and howlings of the wind seemed to grow less, and gradually the music changed, and an anthem of grateful praise was heard. Again the theme changed, and the original one, representing the calm of a summer's evening, came floating through the building—then the music ceased.

The great organist left the organ chamber, and went down into the nave of the Church, where the old official met him and said: "Oh, sir, how lovely! To think that I should ever have tried to prevent you playing. Please pardon me."

What a difference there is when a master hand touches the keys of an organ. What kind of music is coming from our lives? If we are selfish, then only miserable, whining notes will be heard; if proud, discordant sounds will issue from us. If we are untrue, unreal, then a muddled, uncertain theme will come. Let us ask the Lord Jesus Christ to take His place at the console of our life. Ask Him to manipulate the keys and control the stops, then will our hearts be full of His music. Then will come from our lives melodies that will be in unison with heavenly music, and harmonies that will blend with those of the choir celestial. We shall also be the means of bringing music and true harmony into discordant lives. We shall then say, and mean it: "Oh why did I ever prevent the Master Musician from taking control of my life?"