Practice Makes Permanent

"An ounce of practice is worthy more than a ton of preaching." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"We learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. One becomes in some area an athlete of God." ~ Martha Graham

As you put into practice the qualities of patience, punctuality, sincerity and solitude, you will have a better opinion of the world around you." ~ Grenville Klaiser

"Practice is everything. This is often misquoted as 'Practice makes perfect.' " ~ Periander

"Cab drivers are living proof that practice does not make perfect." ~ Howard Ogden

"They say practice makes perfect. Of course it doesn't. For the vast majority of golfers it merely consolidates imperfection." ~ Henry Longhurst

Our home is filled with a variety of people grasping new skills, trying to learn something new, or sharpen a skill which has been used again and again. The mantra of my life lately has been, "Practice does not make perfect; practice makes permanent." This has really hit home with A. as she draws closer and closer to her Harpsichord recital.

The harpsichord is an older sister of the piano, and though constructed in a similar manner, it is VERY different from the piano touch that A. has grown to know and love. The piece that was chosen was waaaay harder than she had ever seen before and looking at the amount of notes, you could see the tears of frustration already in her eyes. "You can do this, dear," her teacher encouraged wisely, "you can do this, a little at a time. But you have to practice the small details, every time you sit down at the bench. Practice doing the little things right, not the speed, not the million notes...but your posture, the curve your fingers and wrists. This rhythm is the same, whether the tempo is fast or slow."

These are two videos of her hard work, and her deep concentration and pleasure from the benefit of determined practice. I am so proud of her!




My ears are not deaf, I hear her mistakes, her misfingering in a phrase here and there. But my ears are very forgiving, hearing her progress, hearing her hard work, hearing her practice. Practice makes permanent means if you practice something again and again, it will become the way it is performed again and again. Whether it is right or not, it has been permanently applied into the habitual response and learning. Practice something wrong, and it will remain wrong and will be harder to unlearn and reteach.

Practice makes permanent is not excessively tied to music performance or turning a double play or learning 25 Greek words. Practice makes permanent reaches into the spiritual discipline a believer exercises. Jesus taught His disciples many things, and underscored for them how important it was to continue to practice them.

Do this:
Forgive yourself
Love one another
Forgive each other's failures
Serve each other
Pray with passion and fervor
Remember the poor
Tell everyone about God' love
Repent
Heal
Reach out to those who are hanging out on limbs around you
Speak the language of love
Run out to greet those who have been lost and have returned
Rejoice
Celebrate
Jesus helps us to know it is important to practice our faith. Practice makes permanent. Practice sharing verses from Romans with someone who needs to hear the story of salvation. Does evangelism make your palms sweat and your heart pump?

Practice including conversations about God in your conversations with the people you care about. Share the love God has for the world, woven with forgiveness and mercy. Practice it everyday. How about this? Make a pact with yourself to tell someone - anyone - about God everyday and ask God to guide who that may need to be. By practicing the discipline of evangelism, you are being included into God's work and God's presence will be your deepest blessing.

Practice makes permanent. Practice a spiritual discipline today. God is with you, every step of the way.

"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.

You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another." John 15:9-17