Philippians 4:13

 Have you ever had the experience of learning something that seems good at the time, but much later in life takes on increased meaning? Such was an experience I had in October 2024, when a familiar scripture became distinctly relevant.

Having learned to play the piano at an early age, taught by my Grandma Holzer, I had kept up the talent throughout my teenage and adult years. In church I had accompanied choirs, primary children, quorums, and entire congregations. On a somewhat rare basis, I was also asked to play musical numbers for meetings. Still, I never considered myself to be particularly skilled nor professional at the ivory keyboard. Yet, I rarely declined when asked to play, primarily because I knew the impact that music can bring in people's lives.

Such an ask came in September 2024 while I was in the middle of fixing our cars out in the garage. Usually not inclined to answer incoming calls from unsaved phone numbers, I felt a particular inclination to do so this time regardless of how busy I was in the moment. The call turned out to be from a member of the stake leadership, asking if I would be willing to play a solo on the piano for the upcoming stake conference. After accepting the opportunity to do so my mind almost immediately began thinking about what I would choose to play. As I continued the work of checking the fluid levels in our cars, the thought of playing an arrangement of the hymn "As I Search The Holy Scriptures" settled on my mind.

After about a month of practicing, the day of stake conference had arrived. To ensure that I was ready with the piano arrangement, I played it through a few times at home and found it to be smooth and nearly error-free. Yet, past experience had indicated that the feel of playing our own piano differed from that of other pianos. Would I still be able to play the music comfortably on the piano at the church building? To find out I went there a half-hour before the meeting was scheduled to start and did a couple practice rounds. 

Unfortunately, I could not play through the entirety of the song without making a mistake that caused the piece to stutter. The place in the song where that happened differed each time and it seemed as if the feel of the church piano was not conducive to my hands. Eventually, I had run out of time and the meeting was only ten minutes away from starting. Never mind the fact that two years earlier at that
very piano I was accompanying our ward choir and my paper music blew off the stands in the middle of the piece. To say the least, I felt unable and inadequate at playing in front of multiple hundred attendees, somehow expected to bring a feeling a sacred spirituality to the meeting. But now it was too late to back down. I would simply have to go through with it.

As I sat in the pews for the final minutes before the start of the meeting I felt as if the very title of the music I had chosen to play was my last anchor of hope. I asked myself what scriptures I knew of that could bring me the strength I needed. Then almost immediately, a familiar scripture that I had memorized nearly 16 years earlier came to mind:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

~ Philippians 4:13

While I had read and memorized this scripture many times, it seemed too relevant in the moment to have been recalled by coincidence. I realized that indeed I could not by myself fulfill my music responsibilities, but that by drawing upon Christ's power I could have the needed additional strength. As the stake presidency member took the stand to welcome everyone and announce the program, I learned for the first time that only the opening hymn and prayer preceded my musical number in the program. Upon hearing this, realizing that the entire meeting would be affected by my piano solo, I immediately said a prayer asking for strength through Christ.

No sooner did I close this personal plea than the answer came in the very words of the opening hymn. "Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand." 

With this answer and an additional prayer of thanks, I proceeded up to the piano once again to play the musical arrangement, this time knowing that I had divine strengthening power. As I played the keys on the keyboard there were multiple times where I felt my fingers simply land on the right place at the right time, almost as if someone else's hands were directly guiding mine. Not only was I able to play through the piece smoothly, but I also got the unique opportunity to bear testimony through music that the scriptures truly do contain the guidance for strength beyond our own.