"In perfect harmony"

[Rhonda]

"In perfect harmony"
by Bob Perks

"I guess it's like the old question, 'If I tree falls in the forest and no
one is there to hear it...'" she said.

"But the tree fell. It served its purpose, lived to become all it was
supposed to become and then it fell. All logic says it did indeed
make a sound," I replied.

"But no one knew," she replied. "No one heard it."

She was struggling with her purpose in life. She was hoping to not
only make a difference, but leave a long lasting impression on the
world.

"I can't believe that anything I have done so far in my life has made
a difference at all," she said.

As hard as I tried I could not convince her that day.

Then last night it all came to me.

I was shutting off the lights as I got ready to go to bed. I just happened to
be standing in front of the clock I bought my wife a few months ago.

This mantle clock needs to be wound periodically. It chimes every quarter
hour and then on the hour.

It was eleven o'clock. "Bong," "Bong," "Bong,"...

At the eleventh chime it stopped. It was then I found the answer.

It was in the resonance of the bell. I listened as long as I could until it faded completely.

"That's it! Thanks God!" I said out loud.

The very next day I contacted my friend.

"I have your answer," I said. "Do you believe in God?"

"Yes, I do," she replied.

"If you do then you must believe that all that you do, both good and bad, makes an impact
on the world."

"Just because God created me?"

"He also created bells."

The blank look on her face told me she had no idea what I was talking about.

"As I stood in front of my mantle clock last night, it chimed 11 times. After the last chime
I listened very closely until I could hear it no more. Then two songs came to mind."

I then began to sing...

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.


I stopped. She just looked at me.

"Okay, then this song...
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

I stopped.

"People in perfect harmony. With every step you take. The bells! The bells!" I shouted.

"God created us all to live in perfect harmony. We live, we die and the
resounding nature of us ever having lived at all rings on long after we are gone.
Every little thing you ever did was like a note struck in the great music of life.
Until the very last note, until that day that God says "Enough!" and the world ceases
as we know it, your part in it was so significant that the Master Conductor would weep for
not having you there.

The bells ring even when I am not there to hear them, but they mark off the time and the
ringing lasts until it exists no more. But it served its purpose by ever having rung at all."

In my enthusiastic explanation I hadn't noticed her response to what I was saying.

Stopping, I placed my hand on her shoulder and looked at her.

Her eyes were like two pools ready to overflow.

"Thank you!" she whispered. She left not saying another word.

Today I found a small package on my front step with my name handwritten on the outside.

I opened and found two small bells.

I rang them..."in perfect harmony."

Merry Christmas!