Dissonance

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” — Psalm 30:5

I sing in both my church choir and the Community Choir. Woody Wade, who has faithfully directed for fifty years, leads both. Week after week, he reminds us—especially when we stumble into a tricky passage filled with tension—“Thank goodness the chord resolves.” Those words always stay with me.

If you’ve ever sung in a choir, you know what dissonance feels like. Dissonance happens when notes clash against each other, creating a sound that feels unsettled, almost painful. It’s not wrong—it’s part of the music. But if it hung there forever, it would wear us down. The joy comes when the composer resolves the dissonance into harmony. That’s when you hear the beauty and understand why the clash had to come first.

Life often feels like one of those long, dissonant chords. Trouble at work, broken relationships, sickness, grief—each note adding to the strain. Sometimes we feel stuck in that clash, just waiting for relief. The Bible is filled with those same moments. Joseph languished in prison, wondering if his dreams would ever come true. Job’s life collapsed into loss and suffering. The disciples wept at the cross, not realizing that the silence of Saturday would soon give way to the glory of resurrection Sunday. But God never leaves His children suspended in dissonance.

Joseph’s dungeon became the doorway to saving nations. Job’s suffering gave way to restoration and a deeper understanding of God’s greatness. The dissonance of the cross was resolved in the harmony of the empty tomb. Romans 8:28 reminds us: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” The clash is real, the ache is heavy—but the resolution is certain. God, the Great Composer, holds the score. He knows exactly how and when the final harmony will sound.

When I sing under Woody’s direction, I don’t stop in the middle of the clash. I follow, trusting that the resolution will come. In the same way, God calls us to keep walking by faith when life sounds out of tune. He is conducting the grand symphony of our lives, and His hand never falters.

So today, if your life feels like a dissonant chord—hold on. Keep singing. Trust the Conductor. Thank goodness, the chord resolves.

The Jasper Community Wide Choir before the presentation of Alleluia!