When there is no light by which to read the music, those who know their God by heart play on.
–Joni Eareckson Tada
She sat on a stage at a large conference in the Philippines, excited to be in that exotic country.
Quadriplegic artist and disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada enjoyed the musical performance of a band of Filipino musicians as heavy rain typical of the monsoon season fell outside the huge hall.
Suddenly, as Mrs. Tada relates in her book, A Place of Healing, the boom of thunder shook the place. At the same moment, the entire hall went dark.
Unfazed, the musicians continued to play. It didn’t matter to them that there was no light by which to see the score. They knew the music by heart.
This group of musicians were blind.
They must have invested many hours of practice in order to play an instrument in the first place, and even more to be able to play together in a band. They had to learn the music by ear, since they could not read it for themselves. They had to listen carefully to each other. It must have taken great discipline and a true love for music.
They hadn’t prepared specifically for a blackout.
Learning the music by heart was the only way they could play, given their limitations. But it made them ready for any eventuality. Nothing could take the song from them.
Too often I count on yesterday’s light for each new day. When I get blindsided by unexpected trials I find myself panicking, instead of trusting in the score written on my soul.
What storms assault you today?
Have you ever felt stranded in the dark by unforeseen circumstances? How can any of us live above the shadows that threaten to still our faith?
It’s simpler than we think.
When the world crashes in, sit in His presence. Quiet your mind. Listen for the music playing in your spirit.
There it is! Can you hear it? See, you know the words. It’s the Song of the Redeemed.
When the storms thunder around you, the rain falls, and your world is smothered in darkness, you know what to do.
Play on.
And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.’
‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’
– Revelation 5:9,13
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