Andor Foldes was a great Hungarian concert pianist. He once recounted a kiss that changed his life. He was 16 years old and feeling very low because of an ongoing conflict with his piano teacher, when Emil von Sauer visited Budapest. von Sauer was a famous pianist, and the last surviving pupil of another famous pianist: Franz Liszt.

Von Sauer asked Foldes to play for him. A very anxious Foldes performed some of the most difficult works of Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann. When he had finished, he nervously awaited the great master’s response. Von Sauer got up from his chair, walked over to Foldes, kissed him on the forehead and said, “My son, when I was your age, I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on the forehead after my first lesson, saying, ‘Take good care of this kiss – it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play.’ I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage, but now I feel you deserve it.” It was that kiss that changed Foldes’ life and spurred him to continue with his piano studies and playing even through the darkest periods of his life.

Right Now

This is the week of Christmas. Many are celebrating with families and friends. But the reality is that many are going through very distressing times right now. It may be grief over the loss of a loved one. It may be problems with children or other relatives. It may be a difficult time at work or difficulty finding work. Someone may have hurt you deeply. We feel bombarded with discouragement and depression. In fact, depression is the #1 health problem in the U.S. today. Over 200 million prescriptions have been written over the last few years just to treat the symptoms of depression.

Be Encouraged

As Christians, we are called on to be an encouragement to each other. Our job is NOT to find fault…. May God help us to find JOY! It is a most joyous thing to be God’s child. Be reminded of this: Phil 4:19 – “And my God will meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Friend — be encouraged because God sent His Son. Be encouraged because Jesus died for our sins. Every Lord’s Day, we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior! JOY TO THE WORLD the Lord has indeed come! He lived, died, and was resurrected that we might live with Him eternally. Rom. 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”