Sounds of Grace
“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” * One of the most challenging birthday gifts I’ve ever received was a piano arrangement of the hymn, “Amazing Grace.” It was from my step-daughter Shanda, mailed from her home in Detroit and arriving in Springville in time for my birthday. Being a novice keyboard player, the music was daunting. When I showed it to my talented keyboard mentor, she advised me to find another arrangement! However, because it was a gift and because it came from Shanda, who at the time played the viola with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, I really didn’t want to do that. “Shanda, this music is too hard for me,” I explained over the phone, after thanking her for her thoughtfulness. “Oh no!” she said emphatically, “You can do it.” With that encouragement I tackled the piece, working on a li
