Music is one of my passions. I love listening to it, conducting it, and shaping it. Some time ago, I had the opportunity to take part in a musical production that was scored for full orchestra and choir. At rehearsal, I watched as the violins played, then the violas and the cellos, the double bass, and all the stringed instruments. Then the wind instruments came in, the horns, the bassoons, and so on. But right at the back, there were two people, one was playing the tympani and the other had two cymbals in his hand. It was interesting to watch them. They were so into the music. In fact, the guy playing the tympani was rocking back and forth on his heels, in complete sync with the beats and the rhythm of the music. When he played, there was always a rising crescendo of music. It was all so wonderful. The other guy with the cymbals had only a few measures to play in that entire movement, and he had to wait for those measures and play them exactly on cue and in step with the music. All that preparation was just for those few measures.
As I reflected on that day and the importance of all those instruments, it made me think that life is sometimes like that. Life offers us opportunities that don't come every day. My mother loved to say this phrase to us, "Opportunity never knocks twice." When opportunity comes, take it because it doesn't come again. There are always moments in life when we ought to act decisively; to miss them is to see a dilution of our life and the lessening impact we can have on the unfolding tapestry of the world around us.
Alan Webber, former editor of the Harvard Business Review, was doing very well in the 1990s. He was well-known for the work that he was doing, but at one point, his work just became boring—it no longer excited him. And yet, he couldn't walk away because as he became more known, success came, and along with success, further expectations to be more successful. He just couldn't leave. He said, "I was bored. Yet, because of what I was doing and the success I was getting, I couldn't step out." Until one day he said, "I just can't go on doing this. There's something more that I need to do. I had to give it a try. If I didn't go then, I'd never go and I'd wonder for the rest of my life. There was a part of me that said, 'Your whole life has been a preparation for this moment.'"[i]
Sometimes that feeling comes upon us and we think, "Everything that I've been doing until now seems to be geared for this particular time." We've got to be decisive, take the initiative, heed the cry of our hearts, and step away from the mundane things that are time-consuming. It's time for the crash of cymbals. This is your moment. It's time to walk on water, and it's time to get out of the boat.
Of course, it always comes with its risks, but risks are par for the course in our lives. Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider said this about risk: "I don't think you can measure life in terms of years. Longevity doesn't have anything to do with happiness. Happiness comes from facing challenges and going out on a limb and taking risks. If you're not willing to take a risk for something you really care about, you might as well be dead."[ii] Jawaharlal Nehru put it like this: "The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all."[iii]
How about you, my friends? Do you have that nagging sense within you that this is the time? Do you have that desire that something ought to be done? Is this the time to make a move, to voice a concern, to change your profile, to study further, or to write a book? Whatever it is, I wonder if this is your time?
Helen Keller once said: "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." What is it for you? You know the Greeks have two words for time: One is chronos—human time, the time that we live by. The other is kyros—divine time, when God breaks into our day. It's the right moment to do something, because it's scripted in the heavenlies. I wonder whether today is your day. I wonder if today the drumbeats are increasing, and there's a rising crescendo in your life. Maybe it's time for the crash of cymbals.
If it is, my friend, Carpe diem—seize the day. Your time is now!
May I offer this prayer on your behalf?
Almighty God, You are the One who understands timing. Would You impress upon each one of us the right time to do what You want us to do? Maybe today for somebody it's the right time to move, to voice a concern, to change a profile, to study further, to do an MBA or a PhD, or to write a book. Lord, would You spur us on to get out of the boat, to leave our comfort zones, and take the plunge, knowing that where you invite us to go in kyros time, You will also equip us to do it well. I pray this as a blessing on each one. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
References:
- Jim Collins, "Fast Company's Greatest Hits: Ten Years of the Most Innovative Ideas in Business," JimCollins.com, December 2005, http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/fast-companies.html.
- Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Quotation #32561 from Laura Moncur's Motivational Quotations, TheQuotationsPage.com, accessed June 1, 2016, http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/32561.html.
- Jawaharlal Nehru, "Jawaharlal Nehru Quotes," BrainyQuote.com, accessed June 1, 2016, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jawaharlal122777.html.
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