In Tacoma WA there is a man who plays “Taps” on his trumpet every evening at sunset. He stands out on his deck overlooking the water and lets that melancholy, poignant tune float over the neighborhood. It is a gift offered to anyone who will take even a few seconds to listen.

I remember learning “Taps”as a Girl Scout; we would our long summer camp day standing around a campfire singing, “Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hill, from the sky. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.” The simple song had the power to calm giggling pre-teens and offer a sense of peace that carried us to bedtime.

The trumpeter’s Washington neighbors say how much they appreciate this nightly ritual. “People stop what they are doing.” “The music washes over me.” They use words like “beautiful, emotional, moving.” In this busy suburb, the music reminds them to slow down, breathe, and take a moment to reflect.

My Girl Scout days are long gone.  Now I am much more likely to hear “Taps” played by a graveside as I preside over memorial service honoring the life and death of a military veteran. That invites another level of reflection as we give thanks for a life completed, a life that included service and duty.

I believe God speaks to us in a multitude of ways every single day. If we’re too busy, we won’t notice. If our lives are constantly filled with noise, we won’t hear. But if we pause, if we listen,  if we take the time to listen and to notice, our spirits can be touched by the music of God, which comes in many forms.

Where do you hear God?