a testimony by Jody Pederson
I can never remember lyrics of songs. I rarely even hear the lyrics. The melody line, the rhythmic and chord structure, the timbre and pitch of the voices – instrumental and human – is what stands out to me in music. So, it must be significant that the lyrics from the song “God Will Make a Way” by Don Moen have stuck with me for a long time. Perhaps the tune is playing in your mind right now!
God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
I’ve always been drawn to music. I begged my parents to let me take piano lessons and finally started when I was six years old. We had instruments around the house when I was young and I taught myself to play the recorder, harmonica, guitar, accordion, zither, steel drum, and organ. One day my dad brought home an old broken violin that he bought for $20 at a garage sale. He showed it to me and then put it under his bed where it remained for a couple years. Of course, I couldn’t resist the urge to play the violin, so it was eventually repaired and I began lessons. Music increasingly became a big part of my life with lessons, practicing 1-2 hours a day, recitals, concerts, solos, playing gigs, church orchestra, youth orchestras, and music camps. I loved music and loved kids, so teaching music seemed like the obvious path for me.
After two years studying music education at Northwestern College, I put my education on hold indefinitely. Garth and I got married and we prepared for the mission field. It took five years from that point to get all the qualifications Garth needed to be a missionary pilot overseas. My dream of becoming a music teacher was put aside and I was fine with that amid the excitement of following God’s leading to Congo serving with Mission Aviation Fellowship. God directed our path and confirmed each step.
My life was full of working, then having babies, raising kids, homeschooling, and managing a home in Congo. But I got to the point where I needed more. I started taking classes online through Liberty University. A music education degree was not possible online, but my music credits applied towards a Multidisciplinary Studies degree. I used my music where I could overseas – giving violin and piano lessons, playing in our church or at functions in the community. On a weekend trip to a tiny remote village in Congo, Garth & I Joplayed a violin duet in the church service. In the large brick church, the brightly dressed Congolese were packed in tightly on the rough wooden benches. You could hear the goats and chickens roaming around freely outside the open windows. Most of the crowd had never seen or heard a violin before, so they listened in awed silence. When we finished playing, they erupted with cheerful shouts and the unique loud yodel/yell they make when excited. I thought those were the ways God would use my musical gifts and fulfill my teaching dreams. But God had bigger plans for me.
One day as I walked through the jungle trail on the way to get Nicholas from school I told God, “If you want me to keep coming back here to live, I need something more to do with my life.” I soon forgot about my prayerful plea until one day our kids came home from school and said their band teacher wanted to talk to me. The school’s band teacher was leaving, and they offered me the job! Here was my chance to teach music in a real school. They must have been desperate since I didn’t have a teaching license or even a completed music degree, but they knew I was a musician. So, I quickly taught myself the basics on all the brass and woodwind instruments in preparation to teach them. The next August I started school alongside our kids – this time as a real music teacher! I taught band there for nine years. My dream became a reality! But that’s not all…
During the summer of 2017 when we were preparing to move back to the US the next year, we heard that Schaeffer Academy was losing their instrumental music teacher. When two of our kids had attended there during previous furloughs, I thought that position would be my dream job. I never imagined it would ever be a possibility though. I informed the headmaster of my interest but that I was committed still in Congo for the next year. He said to keep in touch. Miraculously, the position was still available after a year and they hired me to teach not only band, but orchestra as well which is even more suited to me. They hired me over another candidate because of my nine years of experience teaching music in Congo! One miracle led to another. I like to say that I got to be a music teacher through the back door. I finished my college degree after I had taught for 10 years. “God will make a way where there seems to be no way…”
My career path was not exactly ideal, but God works in amazing ways. Psalm 37:4 has always been a favorite – “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I put aside my dreams and ambitions while continuing to delight in the Lord, expecting to never see them come to fruition. But God used my gifts for His purposes along the way and then fulfilled my desires after all. I continue to enjoy playing in church and training the next generation to worship God through music.
Jody is married to Garth and the mother of three grown kids – Sam, Anna, and Nicholas. Jody teaches instrumental music at Schaeffer Academy, plays in the Mayo Clinic Chamber Symphony, and teaches private lessons. After 21 years on the mission field in Congo, she and Garth enjoy being involved at Calvary and playing violins with the worship teams.