Dream Fulfilled

A day to remember....

We took the kids out of school a day early last Friday and headed to Prague for a quick trip to the embassy for new passports, and then across the Charles Bridge into Old Town Square and the Christmas market to soak in the Christmas atmosphere...so fun!

After that it was on to the mall for some last Christmas shopping...reminded me of when my dad and I used to go out to shop for my mom on those last days before Christmas when I was a kid! That was fun dad! Wish I could've done it with you this year!

But then, the best part of the trip for me came...an hour and half drive to a village just outside of Plzen, near the German border of Czech.

Ever since I was a little girl I've had a dream. It started with a gift that my Grandma and Grandpa France gave me when I was seven. I remember answering the door at our house in Coburg, Oregon and finding a delivery man asking if this was the France residence. After finding out they were in the right place, they brought a piano into our house - a surprise gift for our family.

I was talking to my Grandma at Christmas this year and she said it had been my Grandpa's idea - not that she didn't approve! But he just got it in his mind that someone ought to play the piano. If I remember right, he even paid for lessons for me that first year.

That began a life long love of music, and a skill that lead me to places I never would've dreamed of. I've always been so thankful for my grandparents' thoughtfulness and foresight!

But my dream has been to own a grand piano someday - one that had a heart and a song in it. For those who play the piano, you know what I mean. There are some pianos that you merely play, and there are others that play for you...they draw out the best in you. I've dreamed of having one like that.

When we moved into our new house here nearly three years ago, God provided a beautiful 120 year old grand piano that has partially fulfilled that desire. It's been a lovely piano to look and at a $400 price tag, was what we could afford at the time. But it didn't "sing". It merely played the notes and nothing more. So I continued to hope that one day God would provide again, and that this time it would be "the" piano for me.

On Friday the 22nd of December, God answered the dream of the little girl!

We drove out to a small village and to the home and workshop of a man who repairs, restores and sells used pianos. Dave has been in contact with him for nearly a year, waiting for the time when he had a grand piano that was within our price range, and was that special piano that "had a song". A few weeks ago Dave talked to him and he said he thought he might have the right one for us. So finally it was time to take the 7 1/2 hour trip to see!

After a walk through the dark village, the smell of coal burning heavily in the air, through a padlocked gate and into a non-descript looking warehouse, there sat "the one". It is a 1940 August Forster - a German made piano. When I put my hands on the keys and played the first notes, I knew I was home. It was the sweetest sounding instrument, with the touch and sound that was right to me.

We found out that this piano was bought and owned by one man for over 60 years. He was a composer in Prague and played this piano much of his life. He died not long ago and his family decided to sell the piano as they had no place for it. This man in Plzen bought it from them, and now is selling it to us!! I couldn't be more excited!

He will deliver it to our house January 15th, so I have to wait a few weeks for it to be here. But since I've been waiting for nearly 40 years to have this grand, I guess I can wait a little longer! Pictures to follow when it arrives at its home!

Thank you Lord for making my dream come true!

PS. Side note to this story...my Grandpa France's mother, Katerina Soukup came from Plzen back in the late 1800's!!