Antonio Stradivari was a seventeenth-century violin maker. The name Stradivari, in it's Latin form, can be translated as excellence. In Max
Lucado's book, The Applause of Heaven, he explained that Antonio believed that to make a violin any less than his best would be to cheat God, who could not make Antonio Stradivari violins without Antonio. Though God is all powerful and needs nothing from anyone, out of His grace, He has allowed us to be a part of His story. He has gifted me with certain things that only I can do, and gifted you with unique things that only you can do. I long to know what those gifts are, to know that I am obediently right where God wants me to be. Though I wish I could say I know exactly the reason God placed me on this earth, I know that in this season of my walk I am to live a life that reflects Jesus to my husband and children. Only I can be a wife to my husband and a mother to my children...only me. This causes me to ask myself, am I doing it everyday to the best of my ability? Am I asking God everyday to fill me up with the strength I need to make it until dinner, and then pour out some serious grace when I fall short?
In his book, Max
Lucado says, "In the great orchestra of life, you have an instrument and a song, and you owe it to God to play them both sublimely". So for now, I am playing. I am not getting out of bed everyday heading to an office, but rather staying home to play with Ella. I am not heading off to work to make a lot of important decisions, but rather staying home to play with Caroline. I am not spending my days somewhere between meetings, phone calls and emails, but rather staying at home to play with Thomas. And like Antonio, I would be cheating God if I did it less than my best. So for now I intend to cherish my days playing sublimely with my family, living and playing to please my King.
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