Growing up my Dad insisted that I learn how to play the piano – so for over five years I had music lessons two days each week [after school]. In my studies, I learnt about music notes and symbols (I learnt to read sheet music for the piano), in light of our theme one note/symbol in music comes to mind– the ‘REST’.
The ‘rest’ is an interval of silence in a piece of music, marked by symbol- the type of symbol indicating the rest tells you the length of the silence or rest in that part of the song (as seen above).I guess you know where I am going with this?
Imagine your life is one long symphony (written music), and as you live your life (Living In Full Effect) the sweet notes of life emanate from you! The movements of the music, the dexterity of the notes…they all [should]come together to glorify God.
Question; do we really allow the symphony of our lives playout? Do we rather rush through life, not stopping to take a breath, avoiding reflections, shying away from ‘do-overs’ when the opportunity for correction arises…? Do we make the most of the musical notes running through our life? Do you consciously celebrate the high notes as well as the low notes? Do you avoid all currents? Think about it for a minute.
I have come to believe that when we don’t appreciate all the notes that make up the symphony of our lives we run the risk of being flat (ever watched the Idol TV show auditions? – you will see a few examples of people singing flat).
As I trust God through my life, each day is an exercise in faith for it brings for me all sorts – joys, tears, anxiousness, disappointments, achievements, promotions…CHANGE – you know…some good and some bad. For a period in my life I would avoid situations that would bring aggravation – tell people what I thought they wanted to hear, be all things to all people so that I would not hurt anyones feelings.
I would stay by myself for long periods so I would not be hurt; say no to relationships that could have [through change, challenge and commotion]built me up – exchanging opportunity for comfort. Now, I know I am not alone in this behavior. I know you can relate with my ignorance time past. Ignorance because for years I would cry out to God to make my life burst with the flavors and rhythms of heaven; the explosion of joy, liberty and fulfillment. Year on year my prayer was the same – year on year the result was the same – FLAT!
You don’t need me to tell you how depressing living like that was; it was like eating boiled cabbage with no salt – or think of your favorite meal with no condiments or spices! It was like walking for hours in the sun with no water or shade. It was painful; it was living below Gods expectation and desire for me. Living FOR MYSELF (I called it self-preservation), FOR PEOPLE, rather than FOR GOD. I guess this was because pleasing people was my chosen medication to the turmoil that we call life.
I now know that this kind of life is NOT God’s plan for any of us, and it left me feeling very hollow and tiring. At least until I learnt [by His grace]that ‘there remains a rest for the children of God’, Hebrews 4:9. This was my epiphany, realizing that God wanted me to rest IN HIM. Not to be like a hamster in the wheel, too busy spinning plates on a pole (as you see at the circus), especially as Matthew 11 says that ‘His burden is light.’
Realizing that God’s promises are available NOW, I received with grace the promise that God’s REST was available to me. It is a conscious choice to defer to God, to stick to truth (only found in Jesus) rather than the falsehood that massages people’s egos at the risk of my personal integrity; a conscious decision to meet challenges head on allowing God work in me both to will and do His pleasure.To REST through the things that don’t make sense in life and trust God’s will for me.
Life is a symphony; in the midst of the performance you hear the beauty, feel the passion as the musicians chase the piece to its crescendo.
What we are not privy to is the written music – notes, highs, lows, sharps, flats including the RESTS. These are integral to Mozart’s Sonata, Beethoven’s symphonies…without them they would not be masterpieces. A skilled musician knows how to make the most of every part of the music – Our lives cannot be the masterpiece God has designed it to be unless we learn to rest in Him. Learn to read His sheet music, discern the ‘rest’ take advantage of us and come back strong. Know when He says ‘hold on’ ‘stop here’ ‘don’t go there’ these could be opportunities for a ‘rest.’ And when we obey, we have some respite from the storm, we take a breath and find strength to live another day.