The Melody of Life

I have some personal concerns about how this month is going to unfold for me.  Today marks the ten-month anniversary of Piper’s passing unto glory… but next week will mark what would have been our 44^th Wedding Anniversary.  Just looking at that date on my wall calendar in the kitchen makes me twitch inside.  It’s funny though, because the emotional twisting is both tremendously heart-wrenching and joyful at the same time! 

It’s heart -wrenching because of how much I still miss her.  But it is joyful because I first of all, think about all the freedom, glory and pleasure that she is surrounded by and absorbed into at the throne of God in heaven and secondly, because all of my thoughts of her are good memories that warm my heart and bring a big smile to my face.  I used to find myself correcting my story when telling people that I had “lost” my wife by quickly explaining that I really didn’t “lose” her, but know exactly where she is.  Now, to be honest… I do it on purpose as it gives me an opportunity to give others the hope of heaven.

From the moment people tagged us as an “item” together in High School, Piper became the melody of my life.  Over the ensuing years we made countless hours of music together… and I am not just talking about the times we played instruments or sang together!  I’m expressing a life that was harmonic and in tune.   I Corinthians 14:7 in The Message Bible tells us that “If musical instruments—flutes, say, or harps—aren't played so that each note is distinct and in tune, how will anyone be able to catch the melody and enjoy the music?” 

I had to laugh when I read the King James version of this scripture for it talks about “pipes and harps” and concludes by saying: “how shall it be known what is piped or harped?”  Well over the years, I became pretty good at knowing exactly what was being “Piped!”  Piper has a cousin that used to call her “Pipe” as did I on limited occasions.  So that saying is very apropos to the way Piper and I interacted together.  We always seemed to have a good understanding of what the other was expressing.  Each word (or note) usually came across as distinct and in tune.

I realized after a few nights in my new apartment here, that watching TV while the A/C was running was going to be a problem.  After 20 years of working in the middle of fabrication areas at Hewlett Packard, my ability to filter out annoying background noises isn’t what it used to be. So, I talked to my electronics/home entertainment specialist son-in-law and he suggested a Sony WH-RF400 wireless stereo headset which I immediately purchased at the local Best Buy.  And wow… What a difference.  Now I can hear the show I am watching with a clarity of sound that I hadn’t had in years!  I watched a Blu-ray DVD movie over the weekend and it was like being in a movie theater.  

That headset is a good example of the way that Piper and I seemed to communicate.  Over the years though, we had a few voices… background noises, per se, that would attempt to tell us that we were off-key or out of sync with certain areas of practicality in our lives.  But we learned to filter out those distractions and place our trust in the voice of God through His Word and/or the small still voice inside of us, of which we came to believe, was the only true sound that was important for us to tune in to.

I think the first time we publicly sang together at church was at a Sunday morning service at Piper’s American Baptist church back in 1973.  We had written a Rock opera and had been asked by the pastor to give the congregation a sneak preview of the event by singing the one song we soloed in, a week before the big performance.  Since that time, I couldn’t even try to count all the times we sang together at various churches, public events, private gatherings, weddings and so on… But the physical music we made was just a symbol of the greater melody we lived and danced to through the 48 years of our time together on this earth.

We always sought to seek out and follow God’s plan and although I know that we missed it occasionally, I have learned… especially over the last twelve years in dealing with Piper’s illness, of the importance of Paul’s statement when he told of the Lord’s personal encouragement to him when He declared that “’My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly (Paul states) I will rather boast in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV)

In your lives, I would encourage you to continue to seek Him out and follow what your heart tells you are His plans for you… and then depend on His grace if and when you hit the bumps along the road of life.  Listen for the distinct harmonies of His tune for you and yours, and don’t be distracted by the background noises that can at many times, cause you to hit the wrong note.

Have a great week, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting my life to be a sounding board for the melodies of heaven that God is playing just for me!”