I love wind chimes. The breeze blows, rearranging the chimes, and music is made. Sometimes movement in the air escalates to wild winds, and the chimes are thrown against each other producing racket instead of music. At other times there’s no wind at all, which means there’s no music.
Life can parallel a set of wind chimes, moving in different ways on different days. What kind of “music” we make depends on the strength of what’s blowing in and out of our lives. The winds of change have been blowing hard within our family in recent days, playing a variety of tunes on the chimes.
Linnea, Adam and two day old Micah Nathan left the ordered world of the hospital this afternoon to begin life at home as a family of four. The breeze of their lives is picking up. Skylar, awaiting their arrival, had no idea how stiff the wind was about to get in her short life of 18 months. Baby brother has arrived, and the music of her life-chimes will soon rise in volume and intensity.
The mini-chimes of little Micah, though, must have been tinkling loudly during these last two days as all five senses have been assaulted with change. On Sunday he was living in a dark, watery world of muted sound, warm and comfy with every need met. On Monday he was breathing cool air and being touched by eager hands. He was pricked with needles and blinded with light. Loud voices surrounded him, and his windless world grew turbulent.
Nelson’s life-chimes are making significant noise, too, as he’s answered a call back to Youth With A Mission. Over the next six months, the wind currents surrounding him with blow from soft to hard but will never stop, since he’ll be on the move as a leader in a Discipleship Training School beginning in New Zealand. Changes in wind-weather will come daily, and every chime-tune will be different.
Lars has been hearing some raucous chime-music in his life lately as he copes with raw winter weather and snowbound traffic after 12 winters spent working in San Diego. His group of friends has shifted, and his office has changed from hundreds of co-workers to just a few.
Klaus, too, is hearing a new chime-tune after leaving his Chicago sales job to live in Michigan near me and work in construction. His new apartment is sparsely appointed but his life-chimes are making pleasant sounds as he lives completely on his own for the first time.
Hans and Katy have had a period of calm breezes with a mellow-fellow for a son and gentle chime melodies playing in the background of their lives. But that all changed as they learned of another pregnancy, discovered it was twins, moved from their rental home and bought a house. Soon they will move, just in time to welcome two new babies. Wind velocity is increasing, and the chimes are making louder music.
Louisa and Birgitta are enjoying the chime-tunes of their lives as they live in the big city on their own. They’ve loved the “sound” of making their small place an inviting home and are working toward becoming financially independent. New jobs and new classes may blow their life-chimes a little harder as the months go by, but they are listening to the music with eagerness.
My chimes have recently resonated in a minor key as I’ve been learning to live without Nate, and there have been times when a piece of life’s chime-set has fallen to the ground and shattered. But the pieces left swinging in the breeze are still making music. It’s just that the sound is different now.
One of us, however, is listening to a completely different set of chimes than the rest, and that’s Nate. The wind has completely stopped, yet somehow, by supernatural power, the music hasn’t. No violent storms will ever again cause his life-chimes to clamor, and what he hears will always bring pleasure to his ears. Every change has been a positive one for him.
All this family rearranging can be disconcerting, or it can create a concert. Changes, adjustments, breezes and winds will continue for us and most other families. But after we all make the same enormous change Nate has made, we’ll be part of God’s glorious symphony. Until then, we can either plug our ears or choose to hum along.
“Then I saw in heaven… they were singing… the song of the Lamb: ‘Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty’.” (Revelation 15:1a,3)
“Make music to the Lord in your hearts.” (Ephesians 5:19)
I loved your blog today of the wind chimes. I will think of your family whenever I heard wind chimes in the future – and I’ll hum along.
What a beautiful analogy of life. Music is a gift God has given to us, He is the Director. With each stroke of His baton comes the music of life, be it clamour or a melody more beautiful for words, all are a part of His great symphony. Chimes are part of His great orchestra and the wind, the way He chooses to play them. Ps 46:10 -11 “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Jehovah of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.”
We all need to stop and listen to His Holy voice.
This is a beautifully written message. Lately, all the windchimes, on my front lawn, have been very active. The weather, this Winter, has really been different, in East TN. I continue to hum along, with my recent life changes to widowhood. I heard the chimes, during the night, and the sounds were wonderful.
“Tina” reminded me yesterday of a hymn we used to sing in church “Come thou disconsolate”. And especially of the line “earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal”!!! Amen
What a lovely metaphor to use. Good to hear of you all and your doings. God bless you
Great metaphor, Margaret. We choose the sounds that come out of us, don’t we? God does not mind hearing the chimes of sorrow and grief,of groaning under trial and temptation- offering praise when it is a sacrifice to do so, is a soothing sound to the Lord. The Holy Spirit groans on our behalf when words won’t do. It is the discordant notes of grumbling and complaining that laid the Israelites low in the wilderness.
Sometimes when the worship at church is really moving, I wonder what that symphony sounds like in heaven. Of course, I can’t possibly know since my earthly ear has never heard all that God has in store for those that love Him.
I’m fixating a bit,though on the little wind chimes of newly arrived Micah Nathan. I haven’t met the other half of the DNA, but he certainly looks all Nyman. You must be chomping on the bit right now. What a wonder that picture of him is, newly arrived from where exactly? Fresh from being with God as your mom would say?
I know we think of heaven as up, since John was told to “come up here” and Jesus ascended into the clouds, and Paul was caught up into heaven. And we think of hell as below, but hell is not on earth; we can’t dig down and find it. So where are these places exactly? I often think of life here like Micah in the womb. Did he know that just an inch or two outside of his temporary home was a whole new world, not up there or down there, but out there in a whole new dimension? A place wildly bigger and brighter, where he would no longer be alone? But he had to leave the only place he knew, and travel through the birth canal. Was it for him a death canal since he knew not what lay before him? And what of us, temporarily in this womb- wouldn’t it be something to be able to puncture through the skin that surrounds us, and be astounded at what’s on the other side, just inches away perhaps? Wouldn’t we be wondering how in the world we could be so reluctant to leave the only existence we know once we see all that has been prepared for us upon our birth? Mind boggling. No wonder there is ceaseless praise in heaven… out there… in a different dimension… just beyond this womb.
“Lord, help us now to choose music that is soothing to Your ears. How good of You to be preparing a place for us that will absolutely stun us when we see it, and for all eternity all things will always be brand new. Amen.”
Pausing to consider,
Terry
I so agree with all the above comments, Margaret.I, too, love wind chimes…and your story was so beautifully done. We are all instruments in God’s orchestra, and He is the conductor. What a privelege to hear and enjoy His sounds and compositions…which we all participate in…one song, resounding praise to His Holy Name! Nate’s finally getting to sing his heart out in the heavenly choir…and he didn’t even need lessons!! Listen…and you will hear him!
God bless you Margaret, you are precious!
patzian
Such a beautiful post! Very poetic and true. Love you.
That was incredibly encouraging to read today. I love the insight the Lord has given to you and that you share it.
I was actually doing a search about people who love wind chimes, as my wife and I have a blog about wind chimes and life. I enjoyed reading your analogy and was saddened to hear about your Nate. A verse that has often comforted me is in Revelation 21:4 “With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”