Orchestra

You step into the music hall. The hush as the conductor stands, paused with hands in air. Then point, and a tremor of sound waves rise. The flutes begin, then a deeper harmony joins in by the woodwinds at the conductor’s bid. Then the brass and trumpets, crescendo with the symbols, the roll of the drums.

One, two, three-and, four, one-and, two-and, three, four, 1-e-and-a, 2-e-and-a, 3-e-and-a, 4

All counting, keeping time. The woodwinds pause as the brass take over.

The triangle taps and waits, waits, waits. He waits for long periods, silence, counting, counting, keeping track, flowing with the orchestra in his silence until just that right time—then ping! Ping! Wait and count, count, count—ping! Just the right note, the right time, lends to a beauty.

So, too, in the body of Christ.

We all have our seasons, times. We all have different gifts. There are times we wait and count until the right time. There are times we serve behind the scenes. There are times we are front and center. There are times when we step in at just the right time and lend our unique note to the symphony.

Our eyes fixed on the conductor--not on our instrument. Then, the free beauty comes, the note shines. 

Not envying—the triangle cannot try to play the same tune as the clarinet. It cannot attempt to drown out the tuba. But without it, the symphony would miss, be more hollow.

The conductor knows. He times. The triangle trusts.

Stepping back, in the picture of an orchestra, it is easy to see. But it is hard when the season of waiting is long. When the heart is keeping beat and keeping beat and when? When? Now? Yet?

The heart sometimes wants to run ahead. Wants to add its ping! more often.

But trust the Conductor.

Get caught up in his music of what the entire instrumental array is doing, rejoice in the clarion call of the trumpets and the wind of the flutes and the deep-throated bassoon. Rejoice. Together. Let them shine. And the ping! of triangle, in its time,

In the conductor’s time,

Lends its beauty and beat to all.

The Conductor is good, and he has not forgotten.

He has given your time and place.

The Conductor is good, and he has not forgotten you.