Making Music

Music has always been part of my life. My mother is a gifted pianist and started me on that track early. However, I did not have the same perfect pitch or desire to learn to play the piano so I quit after a few years. But I did love to sing and listen to music. I passed my first choral audition for the Honor Choir in the fourth grade and learned the beauty of singing in parts. As a senior in high school, I was selected to join Castlettes, a small women’s group that sang in the community and represented the school. And yesterday, due to the move next month, I sang in my last concert with a large community choral group, The Blackhawk Chorus. It has been a great privilege to be a member of this chorus for the last nine years. A unique bond develops when you are part of a group that works together. You learn to trust the director, the people sitting on either side, and yourself in order to make a beautiful sound together … it is not a solo. And there are disciplines involved to achieve the sound and level of accomplishment for the performances. Practice, practice, practice! Yet when the night of the concert arrives and the music stirs not only the audience but your own heart, there is nothing quite so glorious. Tears filled my eyes yesterday as we sang the final encore. I will miss this group because they have become like family. As I reflect on last night, it occurs to me that the same is true in our step by step walk with the Lord. When we learn to trust Him, listen and pay attention, and follow the disciplines He requires, we will make beautiful music in the lives of those around us. And we are never alone. "Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you." Deuteronomy 31:6 (The Message)