Tip Toe Through the Tulips

My firstborn is musical.  He had piano lessons for nine years, winning all kinds of trophies in competitions when he was younger.  He then learned the guitar.  He has written and composed his own music.  The first 4 1/2 years of piano lessons, I was his teacher.  I had a love for the piano and I think music is one of the things God gave to us to bond us even more.  Sitting next to each other on the piano bench was wonderful, although we had our moments of not so wonderfulness.  But then I believe every piano student has those moments, I know I did.

This precious one left 5 years ago before he was ready and much has happened. It felt like the enemy had broken our bond. It was painful to say the least! But the Lord is working and helping us fight the battle.  Lots of time goes by in between our precious one stepping over our threshhold.  But when he does, he and I seem to find our way back together again with music.  It is usually over the piano, or listening to him play his guitar.

This last musical instrument in his hands now is the ukelele. I can't look at a ukulele without remembering Tiny Tim from the 60's strumming his ekulele singing, Tip Toe Through the Tulips. The last time my Tim was over, we found ourselves on the sofa with him showing me the different chords.  I wanted to learn how to play a song he likes as well as me, Over the Rainbow.  So he went to google and printed off a sheet of ukelele chords and the music to this song and said he would leave the instrument with me so I could practice. I smiled that night as I lay in bed and heard second born son trying to play the song in his room. He will undoubtably learn it before me.

There is something wonderful about music. Not only do chords come together to string a beautiful melody together, but music is also a beautiful bonding tool to knit families back together. 

 Music can take away the anger, the hurt, and the awkardness and replace that space with love and forgiveness with the sweetest of sounds.Yes, love and forgiveness comes from the Father, but He so chooses to use whatever He sees fit for the occasion and for the individuals, and in our case, it is music. 

In those moments that were quiet, we hit the black and white keys together, we strummed the strings, and we have even sung together.  There is something healing about making music together.  When another relationship was healed after nine years, it was music, side by side on the piano bench that two sat and bonded back together singing for hours on end every day for that first couple of years. On that piano bench, music was made, tears were shed, love was given and prayers were offered.

As I pick up the ukelele to practice, I smile as I think how I'll hopefully surprise my son one day with an actual song and not just a bunch of random off key strumming.  My smile gets even bigger as I think how God is using music to bridge the gap that the enemy created . . .tiptoing through one song at a time. In my heart though, I am marching strongly to the beat of the drum. . .God's drum. And I believe my son's marching stride is becoming stronger, one beat at a time.  Yes, and the beat goes on. Forgiveness, healing, restoration, and the lovely sound of " I love you Mom" whispered into my ear at the end of the day. . . it's as lovely as a field of tulips.