Birthday Dissension!

My dad was totally tone deaf and as the saying goes…”Couldn’t carry a tune in a paper bag!”  Which is kind of funny as I came from a very musical family!  Our house, when I was growing up, was always filled with music.  My mom had a great voice and loved to sing.  She even sang in a popular trio in high school that performed at many school and community events.  She played the piano and would often sit down and play the hits from her generation as well as the various hymns that she sang as part of the St Eugene’s Cathedral Choir… that toured in Italy on a couple of different occasions.

She also taught us three kids to play the piano… a proficiency that didn’t seem to stick with me as I was always more concerned about singing the silly words of the introductory pieces than the notes I was supposed to be learning!  My brother had the talent to pick up just about any instrument and play it!  As for me… I wanted to play the guitar and sing!  So, my brother and I, along with a few friends of mine, started a garage band when I was in Junior High that I stuck with throughout my senior high days.

My dad’s very flat singing range was well-known throughout our extended family and was a joke that he played up his entire life!  My wife Piper always said that he could be taught to hear the notes and sing in tune… but I think the sparkle in his eyes and the laughter that it stirred in others when he “sang” made it clear that he was quite pleased with the “talent” he had!

I came across a verse of Scripture this week that talked about God’s intended purpose for unity or one could say “harmony” within groups of people like a family, a church, a work team, a community service club or even a sports team.  And I was immediately drawn back to the anticipated yearly event when my folks would call me up on my birthday and sing their special acapella rendition of “Happy Birthday” to me.  My mom would always take the lead and sing the upbeat tune with perfect pitch while my dad would sing “harmony” and hold certain notes and place particular emphasis on certain phrases… completely out of tune with my mom!

I would always burst out laughing and put the phone on speaker so the kids and Piper could be tickled with their antics!  And as I laughed at their unique “style” I would think about how funny it was… and at the same time… about how “awful” and in some respects “disturbing” it sounded from a strictly musical point of view!

The Apostle Paul taught us in I Corinthians 12:25 that,

“God's purpose was that the body should not be divided but rather that all of its parts should feel the same concern for each other.” (God’s Word ©) 

The word “divided” is translated “schism” in the King James Version and refers to a potential “split, a division into differing parties or as dissention.”*

With that definition, I also considered how the interaction of dissention in a family, a church, at work and even in our nation, is a classic and well-used ploy of the enemy of our souls to bring havoc and destruction to the unity, strength, resolve and success of any organization… or any individual’s life as well!

Dissension introduces a loud, awful and disturbing dis-harmony into any of the above areas in our lives.  It is meant to bring distraction, confusion and frustration into any situation and works to break up the concentration, focus and will power of those involved.  Piper and I personally experienced it when she got sick.  I’ve also seen it trying to enter into my life since she went home to be with the Lord, in order to impede my forward process in life… and I saw it again yesterday… in the confusion working within the upper levels of our federal government in Washington!

The answer that I continue to follow when dissention tries to rear its ugly head in my life, is to follow Jesus’ own advice when He taught His followers,

“So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God’s kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him…  Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Luke 6:33-34 – The Passion Translation)

I have discovered time and time again, that my focus on the love of God and the truth of His report… as is written in His Word…keeps me forward focused and not distracted by the offbeat concerns, fears and the uninformed “advice” of others! 

And you know what?  I believe that the same will work for you!

And while I enjoyed my mom and dad’s dis-harmonic rendition of “Happy Birthday”, I would much rather sing and listen to the sweet harmonies that Piper taught our kids and I when we sang our modernized, guitar driven rendition of “Happy Birthday” to the members of our extended family.  (and just when I thought it couldn’t get any better… our older son Josh and his girls continue to put together even better harmonic and multi-instrument driven versions of their own that they sing and record for the family!  Some traditions are just meant to improve and keep going!)

Have a fantastic rest of your week.  Stay focused on the good report of God’s Word and do not allow any dissention to enter into the focus of your life!

*Strong’s, Thayer’s and Mounce Greek - English dictionaries”