A Morning Symphony

I never expected to hear a symphony on my morning walk.
I heard a cacophony of sounds as I walked along.
I found myself playing a guessing game, What made that sound?
I couldn’t believe the things I heard.

First, I noticed the rustle of my jacket as my arms went back and forth.
Then the zipper as it moved with my every step.
My sneakers made a distinct sound against the road, inadvertently kicking a pebble or two.
I heard my own breath as I climbed.

Soon the symphony expanded to the treetops.
I heard so many birds as they seemed to converse with each other.
A blue jay made himself known; I actually stopped to find him in a nearby tree.
The crows gathered together on a lawn and Cawed loudly to each other.

The squirrels were part of the next movement as they scurried across the carpet of leaves.
Their clicking and chittering seemed to be the rhythmic percussion that was needed.
The neighborhood dogs were part of the chorus, barking at some unseen threat.
The cows, bellowing at the end of the road, sounded more like a tuba.

God provided the symphony to accompany me.
I was not alone!

I imagined Him standing on the conductor’s podium, baton in His Hand.
He raises the baton and all creation is at attention.
With one movement, one Word, the Symphony begins.

God leads; creation follows.
It has to be that way!

Did you ever think about the symphony of your own life?
Did you ever listen to the beautiful music of your family’s footsteps?
If you listen, really listen, you can discern every note.
Who walks softly; who walk hard on their heels; who shuffles a bit more?

Did you ever listen to the orchestration of your family’s voices?
The pitch, the volume, the crescendos, the rests.
Music to your ears.
Symphonic melodies all around you.

Yet, so often we miss the music.
The uniqueness of each sound becomes white noise that we tune out.
Rather than being still enough to listen, we rush through life, hearing only static.

From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the Kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when He said through Isaiah the prophet: Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. (Acts 28:23-27)

There are many people that simply cannot hear the Gospel.
Their ears are closed.
They cannot hear the Eternal Melody.

Imagine being unable to hear any sounds at all.
Imagine being unable to hear any voices.
Imagine being unable to hear music; feeling only faint vibrations.

You learn to cope.
You try other strategies to receive the message.
It sounds like an incessant hum, muffled and unclear.

Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
The Holy Spirit opens our ears that once were deaf and our eyes that once were blind.
Oh, the sounds we never heard that now we can hear for the first time.
Oh the sights we never saw that now we can see for the first time.

We can hear the Eternal Melody!

The Conductor stands on the podium and raises His baton.
All creation is at attention.
The Music begins!
It is beautiful; unlike anything you have ever heard before.

The symphony of your life in Christ.

The symphony goes on until the Conductor puts down His Baton.
When His baton goes down, the symphony is over.
Then, the Eternal Melody begins in a new Concert Hall.

Do you have ears to hear?