The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness…
— 2 Peter 3:9

I don’t know when it happened, nor do I know for sure the story is true. Still, it is said that a famed pianist and composer, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, was once scheduled to perform at a concert in America, a high-society extravaganza. Present in the audience that evening were a mother and her fidgety 9-year-old. She had brought him in the hopes that her son would be encouraged to practice when he heard the great composer play.

As the mother turned to talk with some friends, he slipped away. Strangely drawn to the beautiful 12-foot ebony Steinway grand piano on the platform, staring wide-eyed at the ivory keys, the boy sat on the stool, placed his small fingers on the keys, and began to play Chopsticks. The crowd’s roar was at first deafening but came to a hush as frowning faces pointed in the child’s direction. Someone began to shout, “Get that boy away from there! Where is his mother? Somebody get that kid.”

Backstage, the master composer overheard the sounds out front. He quickly realized what was happening, threw on his coat, and hurried toward the stage. Without a word, he stooped over behind the boy, reached around on both sides, and began improvising a countermelody to harmonize with and enhance Chopsticks. As they played together, the composer kept whispering in the boy’s ear, “Keep going. Don’t quit. Keep playing. Don’t stop. Don’t quit.”

At the great master’s genius, the crowd stood in ovation.

Pastor Paul McDill offered us similar encouragement yesterday through his sermon at the Forney campus. Life’s struggles may have you second-guessing your decision to be a Christ-follower. Waiting for answers long in coming can weaken your spiritual immune system, causing faith to feel like something not much more than Chopsticks. Rest assured, Believer. Your Savior is with you, stooping over your just-about-ready-to-throw-in-the-towel life to play a countermelody that is turning your Chopsticks life into a masterpiece. Slow in coming? Perhaps so. But as God spoke reassuringly to Habakkuk, things may appear slow in coming, but remember, “If it seems slow, wait for it, it will surely come…” (Habakkuk 2:3). Trust me. Heaven applauds your resolve.