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"Music Lessons"There is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it. In our
whole life-melody the music is broken off here and there by rests, and we
foolishly think we have come to the end of the theme. God sends a time of
forced leisure, sickness, disappointed plans, frustrated efforts, and makes
a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives; and we lament that our
voices must be silent, and our part missing in the music which ever goes up
to the ear of the Creator. How does the musician read the rest? See him
beat the time with unvarying count and catch up the next note true and
steady, as if no breaking place had come between.
Not without design does God write the music of our lives. Be it ours to
learn the tune, and not to be dismayed at the rests. They are not to be
slurred over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change
the keynote. If we look up, God himself will beat the time for us. With the
eye on Him, we shall strike the next note full and clear. If we sadly say
to ourselves, there is no music in a rest, let us not forget there is the
making of music in it. The making of music is often a slow and painful
process in this life. How patiently God works to teach. How long He waits
for us to learn the lesson.
JOHN RUSKIN (18191900)
(Inspirational submitted by: Anonymous)