Still winds keep it quiet;
Gentle evening breezes move softly,
sending its 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.

Is it a riddle? Not really. I’m sure it didn’t take too long to realize the topic of the poem is a wind chime. 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.

We could stop right there because “that’ll preach!”  Each of our lives experience times where winds are calm and life is moving right along with no hitches, but there are days when the wind whips ups and causes some life turbulence. For me it’s been adjusting to constant change over the past 6-7 years. Some days there’s no wind, meaning I don’t feel lost or question our family’s choices, or the plan is moving just as it should. Other days, the wind howls and I am unmoored, my mind swirling with the worries of “what ifs” and “oh no’s!”

And 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 song of peace the melody coming out loud and clear? Or do I look frazzled and disquieted, as if I’d just left a fifth-grade band concert? (If you’ve never experienced one, trust me, it will leave you wild eyed and on edge.)

A Christian’s greatest testimony is one of peace and trust. While we can separate ourselves from the world based on our don’ts — don’t drink, smoke, or chew, or go with those who do–, it is the a 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 Christian life belt out the faithfulness of God 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.