Still winds
keep it silent;
Gentle evening breezes
bring a faint melody to dance on air.
Clouds gather,
thunder thrashes,
lightning strikes,
formidable wind-foes force it into cacophony;
but
listen,
be still and hear:
there’s a melody ringing true
amid the noise.
As a huge wind chime fan, I’m often captivated by its simple musical beauty. Yet, I know this beauty cannot be heard unless the wind blows — and the harder it blows the louder the song.
Each of our lives experience times where winds are calm, and life is moving right along without a hitch. Then there are days when the wind whips and causes life turbulence, especially during the storm of sexual betrayal. Some days the wind is calm: we feel stable, and the plan is moving just as it should. Other days, the wind howls and we are unmoored, our minds swirling with the worries of “not again,” “if only,” and “what if.”
It’s on those days that I wonder: is my life making music or is it simply clanging so loudly that people are plugging their ears? Is God’s melody of peace ringing clear? Or do I look frazzled and disquieted, as if I’d just left a fifth-grade band concert?
A Christian’s greatest testimony is one of peace and trust. While we can separate ourselves from the world based on our don’ts, it is the life lived in complete trust of God amid utter turmoil that sends people seeking after God. Those who have chosen to live life without a hope of knowing God “works all things together for good” will be intrigued when we live our lives in such a way that displays that truth. The song of our wind chime should be sweetest when the storms rage.
If a wind chime rings the loudest when faced with harsh winds and still creates a melody, why can’t our lives do the same? If a wind chime twists and turns in the turbulence of the storm yet sings pure notes, shouldn’t our life in Christ belt out his faithfulness amidst life’s storms? May we not only sing when the breeze blows gentle on our faces, but may we sing louder and clearer when the hurricanes rage.