I Hope This Is Not My "Seward's Folly"

William Seward, as secretary of state, in 1867, brokered the deal to acquire Alaska from Russia. His opponents nicknamed his deal to buy the Alaska territory "Seward's Folly." They thought it was the absolute, worst way to spend 7.2 million dollars of Uncle Sam's money. It turned out ok for Mr. Seward. I hope my deal does, too.

The Piano Restoration

                Dad’s release from the rehab center loomed large on the month’s calendar. Mother’s surgery was scheduled for the upcoming week in April of 2012.

                Mother was engineering the preparation for his homecoming. She insisted adamantly that Dad’s bed be placed in the living room. She knew that Dad was a "people person" so he needed to be in the middle of everything to maximize his therapy and hasten his recovery.

                Angie, my sister, and Mother began the transformation of the living room. I stayed with Dad at the rehab that day. I recall that day as I graded the third graders’ papers and used my laptop to record the scores on our district’s online grading program. As I stood up to stretch, I gazed out the hospital window and began thinking of the future of the vintage Story and Clark piano in my parents’ home.

                My maternal grandparents had purchased the piano in the early 1930s, from one of the Ralston churches when several churches joined to form the Ralston Federated Church. Mother, Angie, and I had learned to play on this instrument. As sentimental as I can be, I could hardly bear the thought of the old piano being salvaged. So I did an internet search using its serial number that my sister had given to me.

                My search revealed it had been crafted in 1916, in Chicago, Illinois. I discovered that we had an upright grand piano, which explained its rich tone.  Unfortunately, it had got so horribly out-of-tune that my sister, with a gifted musical ear much like my grandpa, Calvin Callcayah Smith, forbade even one note be sounded on it.

I emailed quickly Bill Miller, one of the foremost piano restorers in Oklahoma. His wife, Kathy, affirmed that it was a high quality piano and worth considering restoration. She affirmed this after seeing some photos I sent to her.

                As Saturday approached, I began lobbying for saving it from destruction, a piece at a time. As Rick, Tyler, and Caleb Rice helped my brother-in-law move the furniture to prepare the living room for Dad, Rick commented that he liked the “distressed-look” of the old piano. My mother characterized it as “ugly.”

The 1916 Upright Grand Piano in 2012.

                During Dad’s stroke recovery, the vintage piano served as a shelf for all of his supplies. I even bought a small keyboard so we could sing each night. Occasionally, I could persuade him to walk back to the redecorated north room where we had placed my small spinet piano. He enjoyed hearing his favorite hymns played.

The recently restored exterior of the 1916 Upright Grand
Piano as of April 2016. For 100 years old, it looks terrific.

                Within hours of  Dad’s death, as the medical supply company picked up the equipment, the living room began being transformed back into what it originally had been. The carpet took a beating as we used the lift and the wheel chair during Dad’s convalescence. Angie insisted that Mother needed the carpet replaced. Angie set the wheels in motion for new carpet since she was purchasing it for Mother.

                What was my role? I had to decide what to do with the “old, ugly, out-of-tune piano.” By this time, I had been retired three years. I thought I could swing financially its restoration. On Halloween morning of 2015, Bill Miller and his assistant picked up the vintage piano. That’s how it began.

                Bill Miller contacted me this week to say the piano's restoration is almost complete. His wife, Kathy, sent photos of the newly refinished 1916 Story and Clark upright grand piano. Within a few days, the new wire strings will be tuned precisely, ready for playing. If it sounds as good as it looks, in no way will it be my "Seward's Folly."

                Restoration is one of God's hallmarks made possible by the gift of Jesus and His death on the cross for our personal redemption. We can be a partner in God's restoration of a person who may have accumulated many years of old, "crusty" behavior or engrained destructive habits. God instantly gives the redeemed person a "new nature," but the external restoration can be inhibited when we refuse to allow the person to change. We hold onto long-ago wrongs done to us by the old "codger" or old "biddy." That would be just as if I had gone into Mr. Miller's workshop and interferred with his work on the vintage piano, saying something like, "This piano is too far gone. It's been this way for years. It just needs to be junked."

                Let's look for "ugly-acting, horribly-sounding" people and instead of "writing them off" as hopeless, pray for them. When we see God at work in a person with "lots of layers," let's try to join Him and at least, be sure to get out of His way.

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. 

Galatians 6:1-3- The Message