Verses #6 – Galatians 6:9

MAX’S GRAND PLANS

(Galatians 6:9, patience and discipline)

 

[Uses a human arm puppet with two people to operate it and another puppet or a person outside the stage; Props: a small violin, like a child would play; a tape of violin music with a tape player; and a sign with Galatians 6:9 on it]

 

(Violin music plays. It may be a simple song such as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, played well. Music stops and Max enters holding a violin.)

 

TEACHER: Max, was that you playing the violin? That sounded really good!

 

MAX: Well, that wasn’t really me. That was a CD. But I’m going to learn to play the violin even better than that. Some day I’m going to be a great violinist.

 

TEACHER: That sounds great, Max! Will you play something for me now?

 

MAX: OK. (Picks up violin, holds it like a guitar, and draws bow across it.)

 

TEACHER: Uh, Max, I think you have a problem. That’s not the right way to play the violin. You have to hold it under your chin.

 

MAX: That’s what my teacher said, but I don’t like to do it that way. It hurts my neck.

 

TEACHER: But you’ll never learn to play the violin well if you don’t even hold it right.

 

MAX: I won’t? OK. I’ll try holding it under my chin, but I don’t know. (Holds it somewhat correctly and plays a bit.) I don’t know what’s wrong. It doesn’t sound like the guy on the tape.

 

TEACHER: How long have you been playing the violin?

 

MAX: Two days.

 

TEACHER: Two days? Well that’s the problem, Max. It takes a long time to learn to play the violin.

 

MAX: Oh. I see. Well, I’m just seven years old and I’ve only been playing for two days. But by the time I’m 21 I’m going to be a great violinist. I’m going to travel around the world and play at big concert halls. Maybe you can come hear me play.

 

TEACHER: I’d like to.

 

MAX: I’ll wear a tuxedo and a tall silk hat. All the pretty ladies will throw flowers at me. And the men will yell, “Bravo, Bravo.” I saw that on TV once. I can hardly wait.

 

TEACHER: I’m glad you want to be a great violinist. It will be a lot of work, but it will be worth it.

 

MAX: Yup.

 

TEACHER: I’m sure you’ll practice hard every day so you can keep getting better.

 

MAX: Yup.

 

TEACHER: Have you already practiced today?

 

MAX: Yup. I practiced a really long time.

 

TEACHER: How long?

 

MAX: Two and a half minutes.

 

TEACHER: Two and a half minutes? That’s not very long.

 

MAX: It seemed like a long time to me. After one minute my neck started hurting and I had to play like this. (Holds violin like a guitar.)

 

TEACHER: But Max, if you’re going to become a great violinist you’re going to have to practice really hard every day. You’ll have to hold your violin right and concentrate. And you’ll have to practice a lot more than two and a half minutes each time.

 

MAX: But sometimes I don’t feel like practicing.

 

TEACHER: Maybe that’s true, but you’ll never become a great violinist if you only practice when you feel like it.

 

MAX: I won’t?

 

TEACHER: No. A violin is a difficult instrument to master. It’s a very beautiful instrument to listen to when it is played well, but it takes a lot of work to play one well.

 

MAX: Oh. Well, what about a tuba? Is a tuba easy to play?

 

TEACHER: Well, it’s easier to play than a violin, but you still have to work hard to play it well.

 

MAX: So what instrument is really, really easy to play?

 

TEACHER: Well, a kazoo is pretty easy to play.

 

MAX:  Then I’m going to be a great kazooist. I will travel around the world and play in big concert halls. All the pretty ladies will throw roses to me. Will you come hear me play?

 

TEACHER: I don’t know, Max. It costs a lot of money to hear someone play at a big concert hall. I don’t think I’d want to pay a lot of money to hear anyone play the kazoo.

 

MAX: You wouldn’t?

 

TEACHER: No. Anyone can play a kazoo. It’s not really much of an instrument.

 

MAX: Oh.

 

TEACHER: See, any skill that is really worth something takes time and work to learn.

That reminds me of a Bible verse. (sign pops up) Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

 

MAX: Some times I feel like fainting, like when I practice a really long time.

 

TEACHER: “If we faint not” means “if we don’t give up.” Any skill worth having is worth working for, especially if we use it for the Lord Jesus. If you learn to be a great violinist, you can play the violin to serve the Lord. That’s even better than playing in a concert hall. But if you want to learn to play the violin, you’ll have to practice even when you don’t feel like it.

 

MAX: You mean I have to practice even when I really don’t want to?

 

TEACHER: That’s right.

 

MAX: You mean I have to practice even when I really, really don’t feel like it? Even when I’d rather do anything else but practice?

 

TEACHER: That’s right.

 

MAX: Then I better go. See ya later.

 

TEACHER: Where are you going?

 

MAX: To practice my violin. Right now I really, really don’t want to practice. In fact, I can hardly stand the thought of practicing. So it must be the perfect time.

 

(Max exits.)