The keys to the better things

The sounds are melodious, and every ear is attuned. The ones who are passing by, now stop and take pause. They tilt their heads slightly, as though hearing something keenly interesting. Then a look of calm, fills the face, and they smile.

Chip Aliston sees this every time. Through the years it has been a regular occurrence. Furthermore, it isn’t the player that makes the magic. That would be like saying it’s the carpenter that is solely responsible for the driven nail. The hammer matters.

In fact the hammer is the delivery method, for the force, that drives the nail. The more solid the hammer, the more solid the strike. Chip Aliston believed it was the exact same way with the old piano. He watched it deliver hope to better things, almost every time.

The Keys to the Better Things

It was an old piano. It became antiquated, and then cherished, as part of a church congregation for years. Every week the old piano would bring forth a melodious and happy sound. Chip Aliston was a member of the congregation. Additionally he helped with all the activities, and gatherings, of the church.

As the years passed the church and its congregation grew. Soon it was time to upgrade the old piano. Chip was a long time member of the church. Therefore, the pastor asked Chip to help with the sale and replacement of the old piano.

On that particular day the pastor was receiving a visit from a very recent new member of the congregation. The young man was blind, and was also a musician. They hadn’t replaced the old piano yet, so the young man sat at the old piano, to show his skills. Within minutes a peculiar thing occurred.

The young man regained his sight. It was so profound that the pastor began to see things he hadn’t noticed before this event. However, it had a greater impact on the young man, who could now see. In fact he stayed with the church and played the old piano every week. Because by then everyone knew there was something about the old piano.

The better things

For example, the young woman diagnosed with a serious and terminal condition. She was visiting from a neighboring community. The service on the evening she had been there was longer than most. The pastor seemed to have had a real message to convey this time. Additionally the music from the piano had been divine.

Two weeks later the pastor receives a call from the young woman announcing her complete healing from the terminal condition. Almost immediately after hearing the old piano play in the service. The pastor feels astounded because the young woman hadn’t heard his sermon. Only the music from the old piano.

Then there was the old homeless man. Tired and worn, he had stopped in to rest. The music from the piano bringing tears to his tired old eyes. Two weeks later those old eyes are sparkling when they recount their tale to the pastor. The old homeless man had won the lottery. Furthermore he didn’t play the lottery. However he had the winning ticket in his pocket the morning after he had listened to the old piano play.

Calm

Chip Aliston became accustomed to these remarkable stories, and others about the old piano, through the years. The church grew, but never outgrew the old piano. Indeed, as he listens to its song, it is even more melodious and mesmerizing now, than ever. He can’t help but think of it as the keys to the better things. And he smiles, as he tilts his head just a little, and feels a calm settle in.

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The keys