God's been doing a lot in my life lately, and I just thought I'd share about a special blessing I've received recently.
As most of you know, I've been very much hoping to be able to participate in another pre-tertiary music course at the ANU this year. I was fully aware that my chances of being able to do the course were very slim, since apparently only a total of 10 positions would be available this year. Apart from that, there was always the underlying problem of transport, as the bus would leave Canberra 15 minutes before I even started classes, so private transport back to Cooma would have been necessary - and very hard to find.
In spite of that, I believed that God can work miracles and that if He wanted me to do the course, He would open the doors. And He did. Long story short, things seemingly fell into place, and I was very surprised to hear that not only was my audition successful, but I was number one on the list of flautists!!
God's plans are not ours, though, and as usual He had different ideas. (Or maybe I should say I had different ideas to Him...) Just when I was starting to become anxious from all the waiting and not hearing anything, within the space of 2 hours I had received my letter of acceptance into the program AND received a telephone call notifying me that the letter was sent in error and I would not be able to participate in the music program because I am not an ACT resident. '
Of ALL the things I knew could possibly go wrong, I was not expecting this. For some reason I hadn't even considered the possibility. But when I would have expected to be extremely disappointed at the cold reality of things, I was amazed at how at the peace of mind I had about the whole situation. I tried to remember that whatever happened would be because God had a better plan. I just couldn't see it for the life of me...
And then I began to see. My flute teacher (well, I stopped having lessons from her in June but I still consider her my teacher) arranged for me to teach some beginner flute students at the Snowy Mountains Christian School which was indeed an answer to prayer. Not only would I be able to further my musical experience and develop some teaching skills, but I have some sort of an income to help me pay for my own lessons. After meeting with the head music teacher at the school who showed me the ropes of how things were done, I went into town to do a couple of errands. In doing so I came across the local music shop owner who was literally about to ring me to ask if I was interested in taking any students! Of course I said yes and made contact with the 2 people interested in having private lessons with me. Both were keen to start that week, and as I compared the money I would be earning with the expense of my own lessons I found out that I would be earning just enough for my own lessons - down to the last cent!! While I marvelled at God's amazing provision, there was still more happening...
As most of you know, I've been very much hoping to be able to participate in another pre-tertiary music course at the ANU this year. I was fully aware that my chances of being able to do the course were very slim, since apparently only a total of 10 positions would be available this year. Apart from that, there was always the underlying problem of transport, as the bus would leave Canberra 15 minutes before I even started classes, so private transport back to Cooma would have been necessary - and very hard to find.
In spite of that, I believed that God can work miracles and that if He wanted me to do the course, He would open the doors. And He did. Long story short, things seemingly fell into place, and I was very surprised to hear that not only was my audition successful, but I was number one on the list of flautists!!
God's plans are not ours, though, and as usual He had different ideas. (Or maybe I should say I had different ideas to Him...) Just when I was starting to become anxious from all the waiting and not hearing anything, within the space of 2 hours I had received my letter of acceptance into the program AND received a telephone call notifying me that the letter was sent in error and I would not be able to participate in the music program because I am not an ACT resident. '
Of ALL the things I knew could possibly go wrong, I was not expecting this. For some reason I hadn't even considered the possibility. But when I would have expected to be extremely disappointed at the cold reality of things, I was amazed at how at the peace of mind I had about the whole situation. I tried to remember that whatever happened would be because God had a better plan. I just couldn't see it for the life of me...
And then I began to see. My flute teacher (well, I stopped having lessons from her in June but I still consider her my teacher) arranged for me to teach some beginner flute students at the Snowy Mountains Christian School which was indeed an answer to prayer. Not only would I be able to further my musical experience and develop some teaching skills, but I have some sort of an income to help me pay for my own lessons. After meeting with the head music teacher at the school who showed me the ropes of how things were done, I went into town to do a couple of errands. In doing so I came across the local music shop owner who was literally about to ring me to ask if I was interested in taking any students! Of course I said yes and made contact with the 2 people interested in having private lessons with me. Both were keen to start that week, and as I compared the money I would be earning with the expense of my own lessons I found out that I would be earning just enough for my own lessons - down to the last cent!! While I marvelled at God's amazing provision, there was still more happening...
About a week later I got a call from the Administrator of the ANU School of Music. Because they were not able to include me in the Type 1 program, several people had gone to considerable efforts to arrange alternative options for me. I was offered places in the ANU's Music After School (instrumental tuition) program as well as their new Fridays @ ANU (chamber music) program. Most notably, I was granted a discretionary fee subsidy of $250 per semester - a scholarship created just to help me!!! Just another reason why the ANU is the most awesome uni in the country...
So with the help of the amazing ANU staff, I now get to have subsidised flute lessons from Teresa Rabe, who I'm told is a phenomenal flautist and teacher. My only regret was that I had to decline the chamber music program due to transportation issues and the limited time factor. Everything else had worked out perfectly, but while nearly all of the little people in the village inside my head were rejoicing and celebrating, there was that 1 pessimistic and ungrateful person who kept going around reminding the other little people in my head about how important gathering with other like-minded musicians was to me last year. In my opinion, progressing as a musician is kind of like growing corn: while it is possible for the corn plant to grow on its own, the real fruit will only come when it is growing alongside other corn plants. I decided to keep this as a prayer point.
I needn't have worried. The very next day when I was speaking to a very accomplished professional musician who lives in Canberra about conducting our local community ensemble (yet another astounding answer to prayer), when she mentioned that I had been given a position as 2'nd flute in the Canberra Concerto Orchestra!!! This time everybody in the little village in my head rejoiced with one accord and... Yes. Don't worry. I'll spare you the agony of my poetic prose. Suffice it to say that there were celebrations of great magnitude going on in my head that night.
And to think I worried about what I would do this year... Things are always clearer in hindsight, but I was really foolish to think that worrying would make any difference when God had it all planned from the beginning. Hopefully I've learned my lesson for good now - I don't have to be able to see God's plans to know that He's got everything worked out and it will all happen in His timing.
I originally had this post titled "An answer to prayer" but by the time I got around to finishing it weeks later(because I'm so slack at blogging and I have a life) so much had happened that I had to change it to the plural form.
Anyway, that's what has been happening in my life lately. What has God been doing for you?
So with the help of the amazing ANU staff, I now get to have subsidised flute lessons from Teresa Rabe, who I'm told is a phenomenal flautist and teacher. My only regret was that I had to decline the chamber music program due to transportation issues and the limited time factor. Everything else had worked out perfectly, but while nearly all of the little people in the village inside my head were rejoicing and celebrating, there was that 1 pessimistic and ungrateful person who kept going around reminding the other little people in my head about how important gathering with other like-minded musicians was to me last year. In my opinion, progressing as a musician is kind of like growing corn: while it is possible for the corn plant to grow on its own, the real fruit will only come when it is growing alongside other corn plants. I decided to keep this as a prayer point.
I needn't have worried. The very next day when I was speaking to a very accomplished professional musician who lives in Canberra about conducting our local community ensemble (yet another astounding answer to prayer), when she mentioned that I had been given a position as 2'nd flute in the Canberra Concerto Orchestra!!! This time everybody in the little village in my head rejoiced with one accord and... Yes. Don't worry. I'll spare you the agony of my poetic prose. Suffice it to say that there were celebrations of great magnitude going on in my head that night.
And to think I worried about what I would do this year... Things are always clearer in hindsight, but I was really foolish to think that worrying would make any difference when God had it all planned from the beginning. Hopefully I've learned my lesson for good now - I don't have to be able to see God's plans to know that He's got everything worked out and it will all happen in His timing.
I originally had this post titled "An answer to prayer" but by the time I got around to finishing it weeks later(because I'm so slack at blogging and I have a life) so much had happened that I had to change it to the plural form.
Anyway, that's what has been happening in my life lately. What has God been doing for you?
WOW! That's awesome, Matthew! Hindsight is a wonderful thing, yet it does seem to make us look foolish at times.
ReplyDeleteBlessings from God this week for me have been:
Going to the coast,
Having church music practice cancelled yesterday so I didn't have to go out in the afternoon,
and everyday blessing like sunshine, beautiful breezes, hot water, a comfy bed, a reminder how blessed I am to be a child of God, the anticipation to spending time with friends, and a good sermon to look forward to this morning.
Have a great Sunday!