Songs In The Night

[Guest guest]

Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the world's greatest musicians, was born

into a musical family in Germany. As a child he spent many lonely hours

practicing his music every day.

By the age of eleven he was already composing his own music and

conducting an orchestra. In his late teens he went to Vienna for further

study. There he reached fame though not fortune.

One evening as he was out walking he passed a cobbler's house where he

heard someone inside practicing one of his compositions. As he stopped

to listen he overheard a girl say that she wished she could hear the

real musician play it properly.

Beethoven went into the house and, noticing the young lady at the piano

was blind, offered to play the piece for her. He did so for her for more

than an hour and while he did, darkness fell and the lone candle in the

room had gone out.

Outside in the night sky the moon shone brightly and sent its radiant

beams glistening into the room where Beethoven sat playing beautiful

music. He was so inspired by the appreciation of his music by the young

lady and the beauty of the atmosphere in the room that he composed his

famous " Moonlight Sonata. "

Do you ever feel that your dreams have been shattered and you feel all

alone in the darkness of despair? I certainly have. However, when our

life is committed to what we love, it's in these " dark nights of the

soul " when God is working in us to give us more understanding of life

and compassion for others and in time will bring back the music into our

life.

-unknown