You've Got a Friend in Me

Dear Friend,
How are you? Hope you are well.

I wrote a few years back about my new hobby, making dolls.  But, after a few weeks or so, God stopped me from having that hobby, as I went overboard. Some might think, “How would God stop you from having the hobby? Isn’t it that you spiritualize too many?” But, after I obeyed Him, I learned why, and I got even more grateful to the Father.  One night in 2022, after I stopped the hobby of making dolls, I happened to watch a YouTube video of a Korean mom’s singing worship songs, playing keyboards, surrounded by her little kids.  Listening to her beautiful voice and watching her playing piano, I really wanted to learn how to play piano. I had years of desire deep in my heart that I’d like to play piano. But, my sister used to make fun of me, since young, saying I have no talent in music. (Only recently in my life did I learn it’s the devil’s lie, using her words. Devils use people and their words to make us believe lies such as “you will amount to nothing,” and so on.) I learned cello for more than a year when I worked for a pharmaceutical company in Seoul. I enjoyed it for a while, but I was a bit discouraged and frustrated when reading sheet music.  In a decade, I watched a video of the minister who visited Heaven.  Before the visitation, he never played any musical instrument, but he learned 9 different musical instruments there. When I watched him playing instruments, I thought to myself, “OK, when I finally meet my Lord in Heaven and live in eternity, I would learn playing piano and other instruments.  Will wait.” But, after watching the Korean mom’s singing worship songs, playing keyboards, I mustered up my courage and found out some helpful videos and online classes for beginners to play accompaniment using chords, not reading sheet music.  Everyday, I was thankful for His kindness to lead me to good teachers online. And I practiced easy chord progression for worship songs. Later, I even tried to play some easy versions of classical music, reading sheet music and watching YouTube tutorials.  It really was a leap in my piano journey.  I couldn’t thank the Father, enough, saying “Father, You had every reason to stop me from making dolls.  What if I disobeyed You, but continued to make dolls? I’d not have had this opportunity to make my dream come true.”  I didn’t have to wait until I live in Heaven. Lol 

Yet, one year after I started to learn piano, I felt a bit bored with playing simple chords for accompaniment, and wanted to play jazz. I also wanted to improvise rather than be stuck in reading sheet music and end up forgetting what I played after being out of practice. And I like light and soft jazz instrumental music as background music in cafes and even at home. One of the reasons I went to my favorite cafe was music.  They played out jazz without lyrics.  I don’t want to go to cafes with loud music with lyrics in background, even if they have comfy chairs or have nice coffee or tea. 
When it comes to playing instruments, though, jazz seems to be more difficult than contemporary pop music or even classical music. Major 7th chord, minor 7th chord, dominant 7th chord, etc. What a gibberish they were talking, I thought.  And I also had a concern on playing jazz, as I sometimes saw pictures and paintings of jazz musicians’ having cigarette and jazz is also often played at bars. I’ve been very careful in music, as Lucifer was in charge of music before its fall.  So even now, through music like rock, heavy metals, new age or even some pop music, the evil spirits come into people and ruin their lives. So, I must keep my ear gate as well as eye gate, not taking music & shows lightly.  Then, one day, I thought to myself, “Jazz seems to be originated from black people’s labor in the time of slavery.  If God forbade jazz, wouldn’t He be a Racist?”  Yet I still didn’t know what was His will for me, with regard to jazz.  

One day, listening to Pastor John Fenn’s teaching, I heard him mention Nancy Honeytree’s song “I am a servant,” and recommend his audience may search her songs.  So I did.  Among a few albums of her, I played out an album titled “Melodies in Me” and found the first song of the album, “The Broadmoor Song” is jazz. Lol A few days later, I came to listen to the well-known worship song, Great is the Lord by Morris Chapman, a black American. When I googled him, I learned he was a janitor of a high school until he started to work as a musician in his 40’s.  I was encouraged to know his story, though I’m not talented to become a musician, but at least, I can still enjoy learning music instruments in my age.  While I played out other songs he made, to my amazement, I found out he made many gospel songs which have some bluesy and jazzy feel.  Again, I felt that the Father spoke to me through his music, after Nancy Honeytree’s song.

Then, in a week or two, I was praying and singing in tongues on the sofa in the living room, after dinner.  I didn’t know how long I prayed and sang, but quite soon, I felt Him saying, “Now, go to your room and watch the video.”  
I still had kind of my own standard on worship time, though it was not about how long, but our heart. So, I said, “Oh, this soon?”
He said, “You wanted to watch it.”
I knew what He meant by the video.  It was one episode of a Christian talk show.  I saw a thumbnail of a man with his name, etc.  He seemed to be a member of an old music band.  I thought the name of the band sounded a bit familiar, but I didn’t think I ever saw him before. I was curious about him, but didn’t watch the talk show yet.  So, getting free from my religious thought on worship/prayer time, I jumped into my bed and watched the video. I learned that the guest in the talk show used to be a guitarist in the band a few decades ago, and now teaches in a music colleague. When I watched him sing a few songs live in the talk show, I grinned.  He sang jazzy feel of gospel songs.  And he even shared a story that he happened to meet Eddie Brown, a musician who worked with Stevie Wonder and Michale Jackson for their album.  Very talented keyboardist and musician. Eddie visited Korea, as her mom felt the Lord want to send him here. Divine connection.  So they met here and worked together and had a concert for Christmas.  Watching the show, I became 100% certain that the Father gave me green-light to learn to play jazz.  I was overjoyed. I was amused by His sense of humor and thankful for His kindness. And I felt so free. In the beginning when I wanted to learn piano, I thought I would play worship song accompaniment. So, I felt I was kind of distracted, when I wanted to learn jazz.  But, the Father gave me some impression in my heart that He wants me to enjoy music with Him.  It wasn’t my doing something for Him (like worship music), but doing with Him (no matter what genre of music I play).  He wants communion and friendship.  

And His kindness didn’t end there. As I signed up in an online jazz piano class with an annual membership and learned and practiced jazz, I got to know about Oscar Peterson, the Canadian jazz pianist.  I watched documentaries on him, and learned he was a Christian.  I said to the Father, “Father, when I get there, I would like to learn jazz from him.  It must be fun. I believe he is well there with You.”
“…”
A few days later, I searched some jazz books in kindle.  Lo and behold, an Oscar Peterson’s book popped up.  I never thought he wrote a book.  And I was so thankful for the Father’s kindness.  He knew my heart and my lack of knowledge.  So, He let me know Oscar’s book for practice is available.  Not only that, but in one morning, when I was half-awake on my bed, He taught me how to play do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti in all 12 keys. I was confused often in playing those 7 in 12 different keys, but His revelation was simply easy, an eye-opener and a game-changer.  On that day, the first thing I did after having breakfast with mom was to sit in front of my keyboards, to try to play that, according to His teaching. I couldn’t thank Him, enough.  He cares about everything in our lives.  It doesn’t have to be religious or church subject.  He cares about our everydayness, i.e. our mundane lives and our daily needs.  No matter whether it’s work, study, raising kids, marriage relationship, hobbies, or finances, He cares about us.  And He wants to be our Friend and He wants us to be His friend. Just like Eugene Peterson wrote, 
“Friendship is not a way of accomplishing something but a way of being with one another in which we become more authentically ourselves.”

Friend, well, ever since I learned jazz piano, I didn’t progress much.  I’m still a beginner. I was very enthusiastic in the beginning, but I excused myself daily, “I’m so tired.  I’d lie on the sofa and just read the book.” I was out of practice for about half a year, though I wanted to practice my all time favorite jazz, Christmas songs. Now I should practice all over again before Christmas is coming. :)   In my heart, though, I know no matter when I would practice it, He wants me to enjoy it with Him.  Just like He enjoys my reading His words or my worshiping Him, He enjoys my playing music with Him, writing with Him and washing dishes with Him. (Remember Brother Laurence was a dish washer!) Friend, I hope this blesses and encourages you even more in your mundane life, your journey as God’s friend.

Have a bliss!
 Julie

And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. (Exodus 33:9~11a)