Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Life's Rests


Life's Rests
By John Ruskin 1819-1900

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 tune. 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. But be it ours to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the "rests." 

They are not to be slurred over nor to be omitted, nor to destroy the melody, nor 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. 

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for passing along this piece; I have not heard it before. It arrives at a time in my life when its nice to be reminded that God counts the time between the seasons of our lives :)

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  2. I agree with A J...it is a wonderful reminder that ALL our life is in His hands, not the the happy parts...

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  3. Charles, I so enjoyed this piece about the rest in music. How often have we thought the 'rest' was the end, but the Conductor is still tapping out the timing... the music's not over! It's just a rest between notes.

    Ohhh...thank you SO much. I never saw it like that before.

    (I'm an InScriber checking out our members' links...very glad I stopped by today.)

    Blessings........


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