The Metronome

I'm sitting in our study and it shares a wall with our front room, "my pretty room." It's a small, informal version of a parlor. No food is permitted in mom's pretty room. You're not allowed to dump your coat or book bag there. No shoes will be left there, no toy remains in the pretty room. Its a collected space in the front of the house that is carefully managed. A quiet spot, my thinking spot, a sacred praying spot with very few things - a favorite Bible, letters, french horn, music stand, couch, chair, coffee table victrola and piano.
The piano is the largest piece of furniture there and it gets alot of attention. Right now A. is seated on the bench, working through a lesson piece, struggling with her reminder of the metronome, as I comiserate with her on the other side of the wall.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
"This is the tempo, play within these boundaries," is speaks steadily.
Annoyingly.
It has frustrated her to tears because without the boundaries, she feels her music is so much more beautiful (and easier to play!)

"I hate this metronome...it always tells me I'm wrong," she moans.
"You can do it, try a little slower."
"Why do rules make everything hard?"

Why indeed.

Rules and boundaries are important to our lives and God has placed some very striking ones in place for us. Not to kill our fun but to protect and nurture His character in us. Paul guides in Colossians 3 about the matters of holy living. "Since then, you have been raised with Christ set your hearts on things above, not on this world. Set your minds on things above." Think about God's influence on your life. Think about how God is working through your life situation. Your circumstance. How would God be glorified through what yoyu would say or do? Colossians 3 further advises to take off terrible habits and hurtful practices - anger, rage, lying, slander.

Yet the promise comes next...

The guardrails are placed over a believers heart and sinful actions are weeded out, removed. But we are not left naked, vulnerable, exposed. The boundaries have a promise to fulfill.

Verse 12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, HOLY and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Cover it all with love."

God has a closet full of appropriate spiritual clothes for us to wear, if we dare to trust Him to empower us to be able to do it. Live within the boundaries of Scripture - the free and dynamic life is captured within the boundaries of living with His compassion, His humility, His Holy character.

Set your heart on things above - Lord make us holy. Empower us with the spiritual stamina it takes to practice, practice, practice.




The Metronome

Fingers moving, hands together
Slowly getting faster.
Right hand alone, that sounds fine.
But add the left - disaster.
Layered within the key of Bb
“Hmmm…this etude feels like combat.”
Starting, stopping, halting : missed my Eb
All to the tick of the metronome.

Left.
Left.
Left, right, left.
I left my wife and forty eight kids
Home in the kitchen
Making a sandwich
I left.
Left.
Left, right, left…

“But its too hard, I just can’t do it
I tell you its impossible!
I’ll never get these rhythms straight,
My arms, they’re not octave crossable.
There’s too many notes, too much to do
I could cover this with crazy glue
And mail it off to Timbuktu with that
Crummy, bummy, such a dummy hated metronome!”

Left.
Left.
Left right left.
I left my wife and forty eight kids
Home in the kitchen
With no gingerbread
Left.
Left.
I Left, right left…

“Must I work to keep it steady?
If I don’t practice, who will know?
It never sounds like music when
I have to keep it fast or slow?
Music sounds best when its free
Allowed to be all it can be
I’m not alone, it’s not just me
Who hates that pesky metronome.”

Left.
Left.
Left, right, left.
I left my wife and forty eight kids
Home in the kitchen
Doing the dishes
I left.
Left.
Left, right, left…