One. Two. Three. Four. One. Two. Three. Four.
Those numbers are tattooed on my brain. I've heard those 4 numbers repeated hundreds of thousands of times throughout my lifelong musical journey. Most songs used in modern worship settings are in 4/4 time and most songs are made up a series of 8 or 16 measure movements, called verses, choruses, and bridges. Listen to music long enough and you'll start to hear the four count within the measures; you'll start to hear the flow of the song. Something about it feels natural, like a heart beating in your chest.
Music often imitates life, but life rarely imitates music. There's an order to every song we play (Example: Intro, Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Solo, Bridge, Outro) and every song has a tempo to follow (assuming your drummer can keep up with a click track). Unfortunately, life isn't so certain. Milestones in life never manifest in the order we would've planned - most of us can hardly get through a day without SOMETHING going off the rails. And I've never found any part of life to be as reliable as a tempo. As if life weren't unpredictable enough in its own regard, the Christian life, if done properly, adds another layer of complexity. An ear tuned to the voice of God will again and again hear the still, small voice of the Master calling to uncharted waters.
I've often struggled with following God's direction. It's intimidating for someone so accustomed to structure to leave something behind, not knowing where the next step will lead. I've often felt God drawing me in a certain direction that, in the natural sense, made absolutely no sense. My response to God? "I can't wait to get started! I just need to know how long this is going to take, what the next five steps are, and I need you to tell me every detail of what to expect". I'm still waiting for those answers. God seems to show you where to start - at beat 1 - without revealing the next beats of life.
Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths". As much as we crave clear direction and details, we must crave even more the leading of the Holy Spirit. Don't be surprised when He doesn't consult with you on the action plan! I've found that God's plans rarely fit inside our little boxes of order, rhythm, and available resources. Jesus fed 5,000 families with 5 loaves of bread, then fed 4,000 families with 7 loaves of bread...He used more bread to feed fewer people. Why? He wanted to show us that His ability to meet a need has NOTHING to do with what we are able to provide.
I know it's tough, especially for musicians, to walk off into uncertainty when we are so used to our ministry being in order, in rhythm, and having a defined beginning and end. It's more than just a spiritual thing - studies show our music forms our thought patterns and affects our intrinsic decision making processes. Rather than stressing about the areas of your life that are out of sync and unpredictable, ask God to give you peace about the process you're in...and don't ever hesitate to say "yes" to His direction. It's okay to search for the rhythm in your current situation - just don't stop the song when you lose the beat. God has proven to be an excellent composer.
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