I told you I’d have a new family member to tell you about. It has been a week now and I’m still processing. This family member is a representation of many things I can’t even begin to put into words. About two years ago this was a new’ish thought, one I honestly never thought would happen. So, because I stink at suspense – here are a few photos. :-D.
Here is the top – isn’t he pretty?
Here is the body – isn’t the rest of him pretty?
Here is the whole package. {stupid, stupid camera-I don’t think it focused on ANYthing! This is not cropped & it gave the focus signal.}
ANYWAY – So, so beautiful & the sound…ah, deep breaths. I am so looking forward to the hours of practice. :-D!!
So, yes, our new family member is another instrument. “He” belongs to Vince, I asked if he was going to name the cello. He looked at me like I had two heads…so, I’m naming him – “Mr.C”. I was hoping to get better pictures before posting – but the sun hasn’t come out to play, which makes it too dark in my living room. And Mr.C doesn’t go outside uncovered.
I’m going to tell you the “story” – feel free to check out :-D! Two years ago I wanted one of the kids to play cello in addition to piano; one chose Violin, one chose Viola. Lessons ended up not panning out for either string instrument, despite many plans, due to lack of finding a teacher. Over the last two years piano lessons have been sketchy as well, for a variety of reasons – namely our very loved piano teacher retired from teaching lessons. Notice the trend? Desire, but no teacher. {Actually, we did have two different piano teachers for part of both school years – but they were both more competition oriented. My kids weren’t interested in that kind of playing – they want to enjoy songs & move on to next ones.}
So, starting school this year I really wanted them to have music again – we’ve all missed it, for the enjoyment. Playing on their own just hasn’t hacked it. Vince kept saying he really wanted to learn cello…well, we had a viola. So there was a bit of processing for what to do, and again, spending time searching our options. One of my youth group girls who had the same teacher my kids had started with facebook’d me about three weeks ago to let me know her schedule would be changing and she could come teach my kids. YES!! I didn’t even hesitate. They loved her & really wanted her again, but being a college student & working, her schedule just hadn’t made it possible. So, I knew we’d have piano lessons starting again the 1st of October.
Vince really wanted to find out about cello….I contacted a friend of a friend {who I’ve contacted yearly now for a couple years regarding stringed instrument info} to see if her husband was teaching & if he might still have space. HE WAS & DID! So, now in a matter of 72 hours, we had the piano teacher we really wanted again, had the cello teacher we really wanted and Vince was going to be starting cello lessons. Now, I really had to make that viola turn into a cello! {uh…?!} So, we did the craigslist/local music store route. All the craigslist cello’s were already sold or way out of my price range. The music store (where we got the viola) had a cello in the shop they could fix quickly & they’d take the viola as a down payment. They’d give me $253 for what I’d paid them $600 ($400 ‘cuz I paid cash) for two years ago and I could buy a cello now for $500. I was a bit frustrated; I agreed. Went home to find out Vince really needed a full size and we’d just put a down payment on a 3/4 size. So, I called them back. Went back, picked up the viola so I could see what other options we could try.
Enters a lingering, serious issue of trust & where I really struggle with what I know versus what I believe. I had to go into town for a marketing class (the one on Google+); I went to 3 music stores — the two locations willing to let me trade the viola were only going to give me $50-$100, AND there was only one full size cello left in any location, AND it was $849! I could rent it for “just” $60/month and have nothing to show for it – by the end of school year it could’ve been paid for. I wrestled greatly with what to do. In the process I found out our homeschool program would buy the cello, but they wouldn’t pay more than $500 & I couldn’t have it be $500 towards $X. It had to be total price was $500.
Money is not an area I am confident. It’s not that I can’t, I just don’t like it – it actually makes me nauseous to try to make everything work together. There isn’t ever enough & when there is I feel guilty – like I need to have it stashed for the next ‘not enough’. My battle is between hoarding/stashing and trusting God to provide.
In the meantime there was one cello on craigslist, it was $750; the seller noted they were willing to negotiate, I noticed they had just dropped the price from $1000(!). When I first saw it, I dismissed it because it was a ‘Yamaha’. Vince quickly informed me it was the one he’d really like {Ya, right, okay, so there are many things we’d all really like, $750?! so not happening…I was having a hard time coming up with $250 cash}, it was an over $2K cello!!! I am ashamed to say my response to him was not even remotely trusting in God, or believing we’d ever own an instrument worth so much. I told Vince, “sure go ahead, see what they say.” He emailed the seller, telling them he was a homeschooler, our program had a $500 limit & wondered if they’d be willing to sell it for that. Simple, to the point. She said YES! {I could just bawl now thinking of my unbelief-shame, shame, shame on me!} She was also fine with waiting a day or two until I could meet up with her. To top it off, between mom, Vince & I we had squirreled enough cash away to pay the $500! Once the homeschool program pays me back, we will all have our cash stash back too…. Can you even believe that? Yet, at the same moment – why am I so surprised and how dare I not believe it?!
So – Mr.C is tangible hands on proof that when it is the right time [His Time] all WILL work out – to His Glory alone.
Dear sweet blogging friends, let me leave you with this flawless truth – let Him be your One and Only.
