Rest, Two, Three, Four

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 few Christmases ago, a good friend gave me a collection on CD of Beethoven's symphonies.  They have been good companions while studying, writing, or just relaxing and reflecting.  Of course, I have my favorite symphony, the fifth.   The opening of this symphony is unmistakable and once heard, becomes unforgettable.

The entire symphony is built upon just two notes with the rest of the music exploring the various themes that Beethoven creates from them.  However, it is not so much the notes you hear that make the opening of the fifth symphony so remarkable, it is also the notes you don't hear that also make it memorable.  The opening goes like this: Ta, Ta, Ta, Dah, REST, Ta, Ta, Ta, Dah, REST.  It is those rests that grab our attention because they prepare us for what is to follow.

Rest is so important!  When I was taking piano lessons, the idea of the rest was very hard for me.  I didn't want to stop playing, I wanted to barrel on through and play all the notes until I finished the piece.  However, when I skipped or ignored the rests, the music didn't come out right.  It didn't sound as pretty or as wonderful as the composer intended.  All notes were there but they weren't played correctly and I ended up starting over until I learned to play it exactly as it was written, rests and all.

Life is a lot like this, isn't it?  We are constantly up and doing something.  We believe that every moment of every day must be filled or it is wasted.  This is especially true for Christians.  From the time we wake until the time we sleep, we feel we must be busy doing anything and everything we can think of for God.  We decide to spend so much time in prayer, so much time in volunteering, and so much time studying the Bible.  We are so "busy spiritually” that we need a secretary and a day planner just to ensure we meet all the "spiritual" appointments we have set for ourselves.  And, heaven forbid we arrive at the end of our day without completing all the "spiritual" tasks we have set for ourselves.

God looks at this, at the music of our lives, and says, "We need to put some rests in here.  This music is too busy, too fast, and too noisy!"  Have you ever stopped to think that your life is a piece of music?  Have you ever stopped to consider what your life would sound like if played on an instrument?  Mine would be one continuous run of notes, with no breaks and no slow downs at all.  It wouldn't sound very pretty and, quite frankly, I don't know that I would enjoy listening to all of it.

Jesus talked about rest.  He knew that rest was important because rest prepares us for what is to come.  It is during rest that we rejuvenate our minds, it is during rest that our bodies become stronger, and it is in during rest that our souls can communicate with God.  Looking around him, Jesus knew that people were tired, that they were weary, and that they were looking in the wrong place for rest.  That is why in Matthew 11:28, he talks about rest: Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

The next time you are listening to Beethoven's fifth, or any other piece of music, pay attention to the notes that are not there.  Listen for and learn to appreciate the rests in the music.  They serve a very important purpose.  Now, apply that to your own life.  Is it too busy?  Are you running through all the notes without taking a pause?  Does your life sound out of tune, too noisy, and too rushed?  You are probably ignoring the rests God has placed there.  He is the great composer and knows how the music should sound.  Let's learn to play it just as he has written it.  I believe we'll find it sounds perfect every time it's played.