Maestro, Make My Life a Symphony

Have you ever listened to an orchestra tuning up before the conductor walks out?

Screech. Squeak. Random scales. A cello wandering somewhere near Kansas while the violins are in New York. It sounds like chaos auditioning for a headache.

And then — tap, tap, tap.
The Maestro steps in.

One lift of the baton and the noise becomes music. The same instruments. The same players. The only difference? Someone is leading.

Carl and I recently sat in the Hartfield Performing Arts Center — the very place we met in 2022 while serving elections on opposite sides of the room. (Who knew democracy could lead to holy matrimony?)

We returned to celebrate nearly three years of marriage, listening to precious 6th, 7th, and 8th graders play their hearts out.

In a photo with us is the son of the conductor, our friend, the conductor — Nathan Ledgerwood. He now plays in his dad’s eighth grade orchestra and in the place where Carl and I met. Oh, sweet remembrances and oh sweet sounds — once the tuning up is over!

The auditorium was packed. Parents recording. Shoulders squared. Bows poised.

What struck me most wasn’t just the music — it was their eyes. Every student sat tall, eyes fixed on Nathan, the conductor. The moment his baton lifted, posture shifted. Attention sharpened. They didn’t guess when to come in. They watched.

And that’s when it hit me.
My life sounds a lot like orchestra warm-up when I’m conducting it myself.

But when I keep my eyes on my Conductor — everything changes.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart… in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6)

He sets the tempo.
He signals the pauses.
He knows when the violins need to soften and when to rise.

Sometimes anxiety blocks my view. Finances. Health. Deadlines. But maybe the problem isn’t the noise — maybe it’s my seat.

Maybe I just need to scoot forward, sit tall, and fix my eyes on Him.
Because when we follow the Maestro, even our unfinished symphony becomes beautiful.

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.”

And when we let Him conduct?
The chaos fades.
Harmony rises.

And our lives become a sweet sound — not only to Him, but to everyone listening.

#orchestra #stringedinstruments #instrumentofpeace