I knew it would be a luxury, not a necessity; I also knew that we couldn't really afford one unless we were able to pay for it little by little. At that time, pianos being sold and re-sold within the missionary community ran from $1500 - $2000, on average. This was because it was not at all an easy thing to ship down, especially if the final destination was out in the jungle somewhere! (Years ago, they didn't even make pianos in Ecuador.) So they never really depreciated.
After I asked God for the piano, I just put the idea to rest. Ten days later, Germán called to tell me that some missionary friends of ours were going to be going home to Canada because of the wife's health, and expected to be away for about a year. They wanted to know if I'd be interested in baby-sitting their piano for them while they were away! Free piano for a whole year! I could hardly believe it...only 10 days after I'd asked for it...there it was.
It was only on loan, you say? Well, that was a start, wasn't it? But watch and see how God continued to orchestrate the answer to my request.
Only a short while later, we heard that our friends had decided not to return to Ecuador, due to the health issues. He would come back to sell their things. I immediately thought, "I wonder if they'd let me buy their piano, and pay them off little by little." We could manage, say, $50 a month. It would take years to pay, and not everyone would agree to that kind of arrangement, but we thought that these particular friends would probably be fine with it. I knew that they would have to buy another piano back home. Before I could even suggest this to them, God closed the deal.
Only a very little time after, we were in the living room one evening, and Germán was reading the mail. Suddenly he shot out of his chair with a shout! "It's yours!" What was mine? The letter was from our friends, and their message was: the Lord had provided everything they needed to settle in back home (including another piano), and they were giving me their piano! An outright gift! I was stunned.
God gave me my acoustic piano, and made sure it was a good one! We recently had to have it checked by a professional and he was impressed at the condition it's in. (Our friend had pretty much taken it apart and rebuilt it inside.) Also, we were told that nowadays pianos are often made with just plywood. But mine is made of sturdy, durable wood, indicative of its superior workmanship. And it didn't cost me a cent!
It makes me think of another Gift, one of superior workmanship. Nobody can afford it, and we can't "buy" it, paying little by little with good works. The only way to get it is to accept it as a Gift. It's the most important Gift anyone could receive, the difference between eternal Life and Death.
The Love of God, our redemption fully paid through Jesus, his Peace... . what more could we ask? And it's FREE!
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I wish you Love, and bid you Peace!
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