The last and the youngest of the real Van Trapp children, Maria Von Trapp (pictured), died this past February. Her death, at the ripe old age of 99, brought out the Christian side behind the movie, Sound of Music.
Originally, Maria (the nun played by Julie Andrews) was hired to tutor only Maria, who was a sickly child. This nun, not only brought music to the Von Trapp household, but Christ as well. Her prayer had been, “I thank You so much for sending me here. Please help me to draw them all closer to You.”
Music was a side note to her mission, honoring Christ was her purpose. Eventually the Captain asked her to get his children “thoroughly acquainted with Holy Scriptures.” In accomplishing this task, they read the Bible at night as a family! Maria commented on this reading, “It proved to be the Book of Books, the only one in the whole world to which a four-year old girl would listen with enraptured interest while all the philosophers are not yet able to get to the bottom of its divine wisdom.”
The source behind the music was a book. Behind the convictions of a family were truths found in that book. Want to be able to sing during the catastrophes of life, like leaving behind your home country and all your wealth (side note: their home eventually housed high Nazi officials, including Hitler), while retaining your honor? Get into the book. Want the peace to be able to start over in a new country? Listen to the Author of the book while reading it.
Put the truths God gives you into your mind and then practice exercising them throughout your day, today. What you put into practice today will come out in your life tomorrow. All our excuses for our lack of spending time listening to Jesus in the Word melt away when we see a four-year old doing it. So, why not you? Why not today?
S“E”t Free Nowww