After two of the busiest weeks of the year, followed by another week that did not slow down, I feel like I should update you on the 12 girls who descended upon our base for Discipleship Training School (they’re amazing), about the vision strategy meeting where God placed the same issues on each of our hearts (Community begins at home. With relationship. Who knew?), about the teams that will be going to Israel, Ethiopia, and Asia this year…but in the middle of rehashing all the details of an update, I realize that if I am bored writing it, my readers will be bored reading it. And I do not want to bore anyone. So…that’s your update (for now)…
12 girls for the DTS = amazing
Community begins at home, and we’re working on that this year. Again. 😉
Israel, Ethiopia, Asia, and who knows where else.
As for me and my heart…
…I have come to the conclusion that I am learning to wait on the Lord. A week and a half ago I got to teach a little girl to dance in the Spirit…which was basically teaching her how to wait and let Him take the lead.
Yesterday I got to play my violin in worship. Twice. Both times I got feedback on how incredible it was…actually, people have been saying that a lot recently…how my skills are really improving and what not. I’m thinking to myself, “What I am doing right now is waaaaaay less technical than what I was doing when I picked it back up months ago.”
What I am doing differently…is waiting. Sometimes on a single note. F#. F# again. Still playing F#. Suddenly a run comes out of nowhere (that’s like a lick, for those of you who specialize in more fretted stringed instruments.) Sometimes I wait without playing…or without the violin in my hands at all. I don’t “hear” the part, so I don’t play…and I realize that it works best with what everyone else is doing.
Not that learning to listen in ensemble is anything new to me. Not that learning to wait is anything new, either. Just seems to be where I am right now. And I am feeling incredibly impatient…like standing there with my violin in my hands, thinking, “Why don’t I have anything to play? [pause pause pause] Ooooooooooh…because I’m not supposed to play right now.” Then I set down the violin and a moment later realize it’s almost my cue. I haven’t played some of these songs in months, and last time I played it differently. How, then, do I know it’s almost my cue? Must be Jesus. I pick up the violin and play a scale and the whole room erupts into movement and color and life.
I remember when I started learning to dance with God. I would wait, with my hands open, and breathe. Just breathe. And wait. Pretty soon my arms would know which way to move and my feet would follow the gentle motion. Learning to wait while playing in a band with a bunch of rock-n-roll worshipers is a bit more…raucous…to say the least. Not all worshipers are rock-n-roll, but these guys are! Learning ensemble with them may just be a miracle for this often soft spoken ballerina, and I’m loving it.
Raindrops in the Ocean 