Something Beautiful

Not too long ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Andre Watts and the Ft. Worth symphony play the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 in Cm. The music was so incredibly beautiful that it made me cry. Rachmaninoff is a master of beautiful melodies (as many Russian composers are). The unique aspect of this concerto is that it came as a result of the aftermath of a disastrous failure of his first symphony in 1897. After horrible failure, Rachmaninoff sank into a deep, clinical depression. He began to doubt his ability to compose, and he was ready to put his music career behind him. After much therapy and encouragement, he decided to write the Piano Concerto #2 in Cm. It is one of his most captivating works, and audiences world-wide are astounded by the beauty of this piece.

This story reminds me of God's ability to redeem and restore after failure and loss. I am not sure of Rachmaninoff's religious beliefs, but it is evident that God is the author and creator of music, no matter who the musician may be. God is always at work within us to cause us to triumphantly march into victory even if there has been failure in our lives. When I was growing up, I learned a song written by the Gaithers entititled, "Something Beautiful." The lyrics go like this:

Something Beautiful
Something good
All my confusion
God understood
All I had to offer Him
Was brokenness and strife
But He made something beautiful of my life.

There is no failure or mistake too great that God cannot overcome. I love Corrie ten Boom's quote, "There is no pit too deep that He is not deeper still."

If you ever get a chance to listen to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2 in Cm, you will hear absolutely beautiful music, and it would be difficult for you to believe that Rachmaninoff almost gave up composing before it was written. I am so thankful that he didn't give up! I am also thankful that God doesn't give up on us either. We are all "symphonies" that are being written, and God is creating "something beautiful" in all of us!

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. (2 Cor. 2:14)