Wind Chimes

My Collection of Wind Chimes

Buffeted, Worn Down, Missing Parts
Needing Repair

I'm not sure when my love of wind chimes was conceived. Sometime after 1985--that's when our present house was built and I had none of these delightful, whimsical instruments at any of our other homes. I don't remember having them at my childhood home. I remember admiring them in gift shops while on vacations. Drawn to them while stopping for a potty break at the Mouth of Seneca Visitor's Center between Petersburg and Elkins on our way through West Virginia--going home to the farm. Looking at them at the Home Depot and Lowes while browsing the garden section (I could spend all day in a hardware, lumber, or garden store). And I do not remember buying my first chime or where I was when I purchased it. All of this is not what is important. The worthwhile aspect is that I finally got one.

I hear them all during the day and night. (They have never kept me awake at night--amazingly!) The only time I do not hear them is when it is perfectly still and no breeze is detectable. But does that mean there is no wind? It just happens not to be where my chimes are hanging. There is always wind.

There is joyfulness in the air when I hear the chimes. The high pitched tinkling of my smallest one matches the high trill of a Bluebird or spring Robin. The deep resonate of the biggest "guy" takes over the woods at the back of my house and fills the trees with music fit for a cathedral. There are all sizes in between and each is distinct and unique in their loudness or demure notes. Some take very little wind to start their musical melody and others need a gust to force open their hidden chords of harmony.

They are my daily witness of the Holy Spirit--if I am willing to stop, take note (no pun intended), and listen. Ah, there's the rub!

My favorite chime is outside my office door. My dear neighbors gave it to me as a thank you gift for looking after their pets while they were on a Colorado ski vacation. It is made up of old, unusable ski poles. They are the ones I hear the most and they have more tones, chords, or notes then any of my other chimes. I love this set of chimes. I have been in the middle of intense work, hear the chimes, and a smile crosses my face. I close my eyes and I relish the small concert...I'm doing it now!

He is here. The Holy Spirit is present, moving, and orchestrating all the notes in my life into perfect harmony. If I'll only listen and then do.

My smallest chime hangs on a trellis that I made. In the spring (in a another month or so), this trellis will be covered with beautiful clematis blossoms. And in the middle of this visual display is this small broken, wounded little chime that use to hold it's own in the sound realm and was a perfect compliment to the eye's feast. Tears come as I think of this broken instrument. That has been me, my family members, my friends, and countless others during the winds of change, winds of trials, and winds of everyday life.

Buffeted, pushed to it's limit, and having parts torn away. It can no longer chime as intended. Yet, miraculously, it still has one pipe and when the wind catches the clapper just right, I can hear the one lonely note still ringing. Still responding to the push of the wind. Still dong what it was made to do--chime in spite of it's crippling. I will lovingly take this broken chime and repair it. It will never be the same because some of the parts cannot be found. But it will regain it's place among the blossoms and once again find more than just one note to fill the air. I will repair it to be stronger, and it will hold a special place in my realm of wind chimes...the "once was broken, but lovingly restored" one.

I have to say in this season of my restoration, repair, renewal, and revival, I am open to the "winds" of the Holy Spirit as never before. His gentle breezes and His turbulent gusts are for pushing me to be His song. I hope to be "a sweet, sweet song in His ears" as well as for those He brings into my life. I desire to join with His other "repaired chimes" and ring for His glory.