It is indeed a fine line to know that your child has a particular bent toward something, and want to encourage them, yet not push them so much they rebel or simply stop enjoying it all together. And so, herein lies our new situation. Since infancy, Elijah Brooks has showed a great interest in music, a love for it, and an appreciation for it. Being in a musical family, he has been exposed to a great deal of music, and different styles at that. I have known since he was 1 years old that he has an incredible ear for music. We have just allowed him to explore it, but never push it on him. However recently, he has shown us that he has an interest in guitar. He picks up his guitar multiple times a day and plays. He will even play it walking up the stairs. I usually find him standing on his bed playing it along to his CD's which are blaring upstairs!! He's 4, not 14 - not really ready for music blaring in my house like a teenager! Jay started showing him a few chords and he picked up on them immediately - not only playing correct chords, but correct rhythmic patterns. I was not really surprised with his ear because of what I have seen over the past several years, but was quite surprised when he caught on so quickly and seemed to play with such ease and natural ability. I am seeing that one of his greatest strengths (which is his precise and accurate musical ear), is also becoming one of his greatest weaknesses in that he gets frustrated very quickly if something is not played correctly. We are trying to work through this frustration, knowing that it can either propel him forward to excellence or trip him up and he gives up out of frustration. I have seen it in myself, and I have seen it in others that I have taught or worked with, and have seen both sides. Those who used their weakness to work hard and shoot for excellence, did exactly that - they became excellent - not perfect, but excellent. I see so much of myself in my son...., which is kind of scary. I see so many of the same characteristics in him that I know are true of myself and that I struggle with daily in every area of life. The same things that trip me up and cause me to sin are the same things that he struggles with. I am really not all that different from my son, just older and more aware of my areas of weakness, and where I need some good discipline from my good Heavenly Father.
I am excited for my son though. He has a world of potential at his fingertips - literally - and I am excited to see how the Lord may choose to use this newfound love. He may just choose to use it in order to help him through these tough years of learning self-control, self-discipline, learning the value of hard work, and also learning that God gives gifts to people to be used for His glory, not man's approval - not boasting in man, but in God. Or He may use Elijah Brooks' love of music to lead others to Christ. However He chooses to use it, I know will be of great spiritual value, as God wastes nothing.
In the meantime, we are loving the music that fills our home these days, and the sweet lullaby's he plays and sings for his little sister each day. Tonight her "goodnight song" went like this, "Ellison, you are the best sister in the world, God gave you to us and we are so thankful. You are my favorite sister, goodnight".
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| He was beaming because he had just learned his first song, which is also his favorite, "Our God" by Chris Tomlin |
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