Dissonance and Yet...

I couldn’t resist -- I entered the Weekly Challenge for the Faithwriters website. The topic of the week was “Melody” and here is what I came up with.

Dissonance and Yet…

Ten kids. All adopted. Most with special needs. Behaviors, outbursts, temper tantrums, fights, arguments, music blaring, parents correcting, balls bouncing, TVs on too loud, doors opening and shutting. Washing machine, dryer, two showers, dishwasher all running at once. Playstation and computer game noises sifting through the air. A scream, a cry, and even the noises of an occasional kiss or kind word all blending into what most would perceive as nothing more than cacophony of meaningless noise. Just as dissonance in music, to the untrained ear, is annoying and worthless, a visitor in my home might find our symphony unbearable.

But a music critic will tell you that just as a well-written story has struggles that must be resolved, a truly great peace of music must include smooth harmonies that are stirred up by minor keys or a jarring combination of notes that will eventually be resolved again into a pleasing melody. In fact, dissonance is something that music lovers look for in classical music – it is a sign of the work of a genius.

Our current work in progress is not one that most would attempt and there are obviously musical endeavors easier to execute. But what makes our performance possible is not the music we see in front of us, but our confidence in the Composer and Conductor Himself. For though He only allows us to see one page at a time, we are convinced that the resolution of the dissonance will occur and that the result will be a work of beauty.

What we do not always hear because we are distracted by those instruments blaring closest to our ears is the subtle soft melody of the Master. If we listen closely, amidst the mayhem, we can hear it … the song that never stops playing, the backdrop for all the rest.. It plays clearly, it plays softly, but anyone who enters our lives, if they will take the time to listen, can hear it and join us in celebrating this musical masterpiece of God.