If I may be so bold, at one time I was a talented trumpet player. Not the best, not the worst- but I had some skills and enjoyed playing. In my life, I played for symphony orchestras, more than two dozen different musicals, polka bands, jazz bands, weddings and more church services than I could even begin to count. A ventral hernia slowed me down for several months, but I came back just as strong.
Then there was the tumor and the subsequent emergency surgery (which I refer to as being gutted like a trout). That was the end of my trumpet playing (well except for one more "gig" that I did without my wife's knowledge- until she saw me on stage and it was too late for her to stop me).
I could have been bitter. But I wasn't. I was sad, but that didn't last. And the reason that I wasn't bitter is the purpose of this post.
It starts with the belief that everything I have is a gift from God. God gave me the gift of being a capable trumpet player (I Peter 4:10-11). Musician is a noble calling- it was one of the earliest careers listed in the Bible (Genesis 4:21). However, God can change our callings and gifts. God gave me the gift, but the gift always belonged to God and God was free to recall that gift at any time. It is my job to live the life to which God has called me (I Cor. 7:17). But when God decided that my calling no longer involved the trumpet, it was God leading me to be content (Phil 4:11). That doesn't mean I don't miss playing the trumpet- it just meant that God had/has a new plan for my life and that is exciting! Without faith, I would have had nothing; with faith, I have new opportunities. And that is a glorious realization. Sola Fide!!
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