The Sound of Music

Posted by javadawn on January 8, 2007 · 7 Comments 

I first saw her perform about 25 yrs ago. She was new to her craft, so her skill level was a bit lacking. Since then, I have seen her mature and grow in her ability to wield her instrument. As she has matured, I’ve seen her perform many different composers. What a funny contrast – the chaos, stridency and speed of Liszt and the sweet, gentle ephemeral qualities of Brahms, with the lively, playful Mozart thrown in for fun.

So when I saw her performing a new piece, one that involved the addition of two or three additional performers, I was fascinated. In the midst of her polish – her ability to perform her pieces with a hefty measure of aplomb – she added the discord of stray notes, by the performer sitting by her side. It was odd – it was annoying and it made me uncomfortable. No longer was the music flowing….it seemed like the music was broken. I wanted it fixed. It wasn’t pretty any more. 

As I shared before, this season of book writing has been very interesting and informative.  I have learned a great deal.  I told Jeff I was ready to write another book and call it “Lessons from the (little b) book”.  He uh, he didn’t think so.  😀

Graciously, the Lord has shown me, during these past few weeks that part of the function of my home is to open my hands and let my older children learn to run it.  I am to allow them to “practice” if you will, on my house.  Under my tutelage, under my care, I am to offer them a safe place to try making a home run.  It must be like this, so that they have me here to help them, should they fail.

I am the musician above.  I have learned my craft.  I have learned how to run my household.  It is not perfect by any means, but it has a rhythm and song that I find comfortable and soothing.

My life is very much characterized by the different styles of music that flow from it.  Some days it is Liszt that runs through our veins revealing us to be strident and anxious.  Other days we are Gershwin – silly and flitting through life. While on yet other days we are Handel’s Water Music, gentle and soothing.  But the song flows through me.  It is my job to keep the music playing in my household.  I am the vessel through which the Lord desires to have His tune play.

As I invite my older children to sit with me at the keyboard, as I remove my hands from the notes I prefer to hear and allow them to play as well, there are discordant notes.  There are times when their fingers slip and the rhythm is off. I wrestle against this sound of broken music.  I want it to be the right tune – the known tune.

I must choose instead to listen to the music that undergirds all that we play.  The music that flows through the universe, the music that speaks of the love of the Father, played for all time, through the Son. It is the sound of THAT song that will keep me at the keyboard playing – even when the music sounds broken. I will choose to remember that there is One that was broken for me and it is a privilege to serve Him, to play our song, discordant as it may sound, for Him.

Filed under Family, God-ward Musings, Uncategorized