Life Lessons from Musical Instruments

The beginning of October saw us heading up to the northwestern part of Arkansas to participate in a candle light Lasagna Dinner and recital put on by three families, including us :) Most of our family did something music wise; Joshua, Joanna and I performed some violin solos, Josiah participated in a trumpet duet, Christian and Charity put on a piano duet, Elisabeth played in a harp/flute trio and well as performed a flute solo, Laura did a clarinet solo, Charity accompanied herself singing with the auto harp, the five of us older girls performed a handbell arrangement with Josiah accompanying us on the piano, then Papa played a portion of an orchestral cello part from "The Russian Sailer's Dance", then verbally expounded in a small devotional of what kind of music our individual lives can and should be playing. 

With a stringed instrument, the only way that we can make music with it is by aggravation: as long as the strings are not bothered the instrument is perfectly fine, but totally quiet. It is only when the strings are pulled this way and that way, stretched and suddenly let go, or rubbed the "wrong way" that we can tell whether it's tone is sweet or bitter. 

A compared illustration goes for the wind instruments; at least the strings don't have it as bad… for any kind of noise to come out of them poor instruments, they have to be blowed in at best but some are even spit into! 

But the less fortunate of them all are the percussion instruments, have any idea what they have to go through? They're beat on, and hit with rods and sticks; knocked against each other! 

But to a true musician, the thing that determines the quality of the instrument is it's "attitude": how ready it is to forgive and turn that aggravation into something that is soothing to listen to, or a message that adequately expresses what its master wants to perform through it, and what would most lend itself to the edification and inspiration of its audience. 

This is true in our own lives as well; as children of God, we are instruments in His hands, this life is the orchestra, and each and everyone of us have a part that has been written out for us to play. How are we going to respond when the 'digging deep' times come? Are we going to break under the pressures that are precisely placed on us? Are we going to become out of tune with the Holy Spirit because it is less constricting and more comfortable to not be so stretched, therefore being a pain to listen to? Are we going to through ourselves out of the hands of the Master to see about a not so aggravating or pressurized way of life? Or are we willing to humbly place ourselves into the capable hands of the Master Musician in this orchestra called Life, and be willing to turn those hurtful aggravations into songs of praise to the Lord? There is a song called, "God Wants to Hear You Sing" (by Rodney Griffin) that speaks this message very well: 

Their chains were fastened tight 

Down at the jail that night,

Still Paul and Silas would not be dismayed.                

They said, "It's time to lift our voice,

Sing praises to the Lord.

Let's prove that we will trust Him, come what may.

God wants to hear you sing

When the waves are crashing round you,

When the fiery darts surround you,

When dispair is all you see.

God wants to hear your voice

When the wisest man has spoken

And says, "Your circumstance is as hopeless as can be".

That's when God wants to hear you sing.

He loves to hear our praise

On our cheerful days.

When the pleasant times outweigh the bad by far.

But when suffering comes along 

And we still sing Him songs,

That is when we bless the Father's heart.

God wants to hear you sing

When the waves are crashing round you,

When the fiery darts surround you,

When dispair is all you see.

God wants to hear your voice

When the wisest man has spoken

And says, "Your circumstance is as hopeless as can be".

That's when God wants to hear you sing.

"And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, 

and come to Zion with songs 

and everlasting joy upon their heads: 

they shall obtain joy and gladness, 

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." 

~ Isaiah 35:10