Proof for Solitude, Journaling, and Bible Engagement + “Composite”
Composite.
com pos ite adjective
com·pos·ite | \ käm-ˈpä-zət
1: made up of distinct parts or elements
com pos ite noun
com·pos·ite | \ käm-ˈpä-zət
1: a thing made up of distinct parts or elements
Over the last week, this word has been tumbling around in my head. LIFE IS A COMPOSITE. Life is a patchwork. It is a composition…that word is generally only used in regards to things of beauty:
…a musical composition…a series and combination of individual notes combined in such a way as to bring pleasure to an audience. No single note on its own could fill a concert hall.
…a literary composition…a series and combination of individual words that bring new knowledge or deeper understanding of a topic or that paint a picture and transport the reader to another world. No single word could sell a book.
…an art composition…a series and combination of individual brush strokes or pencil strokes or chisel strokes…a combination of light highlights and dark shadows that bring beauty to the beholder. Each masterpiece is a composite of many thoughtfully placed lines and shading, and colors. No single brush stroke has ever graced the walls of a museum.
And so it is with life…each life is a composite, a composition of experiences and relationships and choices. Some experiences are chosen for us. Some experiences are chosen by us. Ultimately, the beauty and strength of the composition of a life is determined by one choice: Who is holding the pen? The pencil? The chisel? When placed in the hands of the Author of all beauty, the God of all creativity, the composition is far more lovely and far more useful to those around it. A surrendered instrument lends a far superior composition.
Obviously, life is full of choices and obviously humanity was gifted with free will. Even the most surrendered souls will have moments with forks in the road, decisions, and challenges. Everything from the small, seemingly insignificant choices of the daily to the colossal, almost impossible choices that have to be made at crucial, pivotal moments and during life-altering seasons. Free-will is a gift, but a surrendered will, a yielded will, a free-will broken of self-will will guide each choice, from the miniscule to the mammoth.
The quality of a composition is determined by the quality of each individual part. In modern times, there are composite materials. “Composites are formed by combining materials together to form an overall structure that is better than the sum of the individual components.” Wise, surrendered choice after wise surrendered choice on every level of the “decision scale” builds quality and strength into the final product. Just as moth-eaten fabric would greatly reduce functionality, durability, and beauty when used in a quilt, poor, self-willed choices greatly reduce the quality and beauty of our lives.
I must not forget that the “tiny” choices are a part of the final composition. Every movie I choose to watch. Every word I read. Every sermon I listen to. Every conversation I have, and the individual words spoken in it. Every moment spent seeking His presence or seeking self. Every moment spent pursuing pleasure or pursuing purpose. Every investment made in another’s life and every investment made by another into mine. Every thought. Every song. Every verse. Every line. It is all coming together as a whole. A composite. A composition. And choice is the key word in it all.
What I choose in both “big” and “small” determines the attributes of the final composition. When I draw my last breath, what I have done and said will have determined whether that final composite is revolting or resplendent; deformed or dazzling. For that composition was written and formed ONE note, ONE word, ONE brush stroke, ONE choice at a time.
A musical composition can be…
A cacophony or a symphony.
A literary composition can be…
A cast-off or a classic.
An art composition can be…
A disaster or a masterpiece.
Choice determines outcome. Free-will broken of self-will yields quality, usefulness, and beauty.
Choose, guided by the Creator, and those choices will yield a life: