A mother wishing to encourage 

her son's progress at the piano, 

bought tickets to 

a Paderewski performance.

When the evening arrived, 

they found their seats 

near the front of the concert hall 

and eyed the majestic Steinway 

waiting on stage. 

Soon the mother found a friend to talk to, 

and the boy slipped away.

At eight o'clock, the lights 

in the auditorium began to dim, 

the spotlights came on, 

and only then did they notice the boy, 

upon the stage, innocently picking out 

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".

His mother gasped, 

but before she could retrieve her son, 

the master appeared on the stage 

and quickly moved to the keyboard. 

He whispered to the boy. 

"Don't quit. Keep playing."

Leaning over, Paderewski reached down 

with his left hand and began 

filling in the bass part.

Soon his right arm reached around 

the other side  and improvised 

a delightful obbligato.

Together, 

the old master and the young novice 

held the crowd mesmerized.

In our lives, unpolished though we may be, 

it is the Master who surrounds us 

and whispers in our ear 

time and time again, 

"Don't quit. Keep playing."

And as we do, 

He augments and supplements, 

until a work of amazing beauty
is created.