Last Sunday I had the opportunity to attend the Quad City Symphony concert. It was a bold concert, featuring the work of Peter Tchaikovsky. Listening to the many instruments blending together to create the whole work, I thought of God’s work creating each of us.

Like a creative composer, God entwines many movements to bring our lives to this very moment. It is a softness of the strings, the brazen brass, the deep tuba, the breeze of the woodwinds that bring a symphony to life. It is the soft, bold and deep experiences of our lives that lead to God.

Think of discernment as your personal symphony. Sit back and  listen to the many different strands of experiences that have blended together to create YOU.

I fondly recall a college course I took on music. The final exam was in the symphony hall, listening to a recording of a classical piece, and having to identify each instrument and movement. Similarly, discernment is about identifying God’s music in your life. It’s about how your symphony has been arranged and how the many instruments bring God’s movements within you to fruition. Although we are all unfinished symphonies, discernment can help us see more closely the whole work … and where we belong.