Line upon Line

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We invite readers to submit a story from your life when you saw a tender mercy from the Lord. that time when you felt particularly noticed or loved by the Lord. Submit your stories to [email protected].

Among 16-year old Sean’s most cherished earthly possessions was an acoustic guitar. It was handmade, an exquisitely beautiful instrument, one that produced the richest tones and the most angelic harmonics you may ever hear. Our son, Sean, worked for six months to save enough money to buy it, not realizing then that a year later, it would be worth a million times more than he had paid for it, especially after his devastating snowboarding accident. His back was broken in the accident and he had sustained a life-changing traumatic brain injury that caused memory loss, depression, anxiety, and academic frustration and failure.

You wouldn’t be surprised to know that there were many days he simply wanted to give up. He had been an accelerated student before his accident, on track to complete his first year of college while still in high school. After his accident, however, he could study for hours without retaining anything, and would often struggle through academic tasks that had previously been easy for him. His athletic ability was also impacted, and he went from being on the verge of a snowboarding sponsorship to hardly being able to maintain his balance. Sean simply felt broken, feeling more and more worthless each passing day.

When the A-string broke on his treasured guitar, it seemed like the last straw. He had been playing it often, sometimes for hours trying to escape the sorrow and pain he felt. In that moment, he felt stripped of the one thing that gave him comfort and allowed him to navigate his new reality. He disconsolately discarded it in the corner and gave up playing it for several weeks, even though the repair was minor. His mind couldn’t seem to focus long enough to put together a strategy to fix it. To him the guitar seemed broken and worthless – just like he was.

Then one day there was a momentary break in the incessant depressive cloud that filled his brain-injured mind. A feeling of light came over him and he felt drawn to the broken instrument. He reverently picked it up, cradling it in his arms for a moment or two, running his hands up and down the neck and picking out a few notes. It was like an old friend to him. He relished the warmth of its weight, and the familiarity of its tone as he plucked out a song he loved. That was when a new idea occurred to him, and he began to experiment with a new way to tune the strings.

He began to combine new sounds and notes together. He invented new chords he had never seen or heard before, and different chord progressions that simply did not exist on a 6-string guitar. Little by little, he wove them together into a melody which was haunting and tender. He could hardly wait to share it and allow his family to feel the wonder that filled him from head to toe in that moment.

The family gathered in the living room for the impromptu performance, eager to support this brother and son who seemed to be experiencing the first ray of light in months. Eyes shone with emotion as we listened and watched his transformed face, seemingly radiating pure joy. The notes of the inspiring song captivated our very souls as we were spellbound by the sounds and the feeling that came from his “broken” instrument. As Sean played the final note on his five-string guitar, pure happiness enveloped our entire family. That was when the deeper meaning of the experience revealed itself as we began to reflect together on what had transpired.

We talked about how we all begin our lives like the perfect handmade 6-string guitar, capable of creating unique amazing music. Then somewhere along our way all of us will become broken

by sin, by loss, through experiences which leave us feeling imperfect, and less than worthy. We may even feel discarded. In fact, we may discard ourselves, believing that we can never be whole again.

That is when the great Master Musician picks us up and begins to help us discover the beauty of our lives played on 5 strings. As we allow ourselves to see differently, to have a change of mind about the value of our lives, even though we are imperfect, we begin to find a whole new song being created — not in spite of our deficit, but because of it. We discover that we can make a different kind of music, which is amazing and beautiful, even though we are imperfect. We discover that in His capable hands, five strings are perfect to create a melody from our lives that inspires, uplifts, and strengthens us, and others around us.

Life will break us down at times. Yet, our losses, our failures, and our dysfunctions need not break us, nor prevent us from making beautiful music. In fact, those things may help us create the most beautiful songs of all.

About the Author:

DeAnna Murphy is a former Stake Relief Society president, and the CEO of People Acuity. By day, she works with leaders and employees helping them to “Shift Up!” blame, engagement, leadership, and individual and team performance. She is also an internationally-known keynote speaker, Top 100 Global Coaching Leader, and the author of Shift Up! Strengths Strategies for Optimal Living. Her personal time is joyfully spent loving and lifting her family and friends – and helping each person she meets to recognize how valuable and important they are and what their unique gifts are.