Drumming for the Lord
"Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak..."
-Jeremiah 1:6
All during high school, I wanted to fit in, but never did, for
various reasons. I wanted to do everything, yet did very little
due to lack of confidence. I was musically inclined, playing
various instruments, but mainly stuck to the baritone saxophone
because my jazz band teacher, Bert Hughes, loved the fact that I
was the only female to play so well in one of his bands. My
passion, though, was drumming. He and I went round and round;
him telling me I was more talented with the sax, and me pleading
for chances to be a more active drummer. I'd sneak in at
football games to the drummer's line, produce my own sticks and
convince one of the snare drummers to let me play a song. I got
noticed; one of my yearbooks shows me in my marching band
uniform, holding a pair of sticks in my hand asking "What song
are we playing?"
After high school, I dabbled with drumming. I've had several
sets over the years, and actually played with a heavy metal
group right after high school, but left when I found out they
were a less than desirable group of men. They were actually
working towards a record then.
I played with people I met in the Army; just jamming, and having
a good time. I had decided right after high school that I'd
never be the famous drummer I'd so dreamed of, but that was
fine- I just loved to play.
After I got out of the Army, I went about 6 years without so
much as holding a drum stick. That changed when I came to work
for the company I'm with now.
A man there, Rex, and his wife belonged to a Church where they
played for the Lord every Sunday. They had a drummer,
guitarists, a clarinetist, a pianist, and Rex played trumpet.
They played 'Church music', something I'd never tried because I
have a very heavy hand and foot when it comes to drumming. I did
play heavy metal, after all! A few years ago, their drummer came
on levy for Korea. Around the same time, our company had a
picnic where employees would get together and play, if they
wanted. Someone heard I was a drummer and wanted me to play.
"No way!" I said. "I haven't played in years, and I really just
messed around with drumming".
They persuaded me, and a couple of them came over one night to
rehearse. What I ended up doing was sitting there for 2 hours
while they tuned up and argued back and forth what they were
going to play. When they finally left, I had played all of 5
minutes, and had not made it through a single song. The picnic
was the next day, and I was to play 'Sweet Home Alabama' by
Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Talk about nerves being shot! That next day, I chickened out,
and let some management member play all the bubble gum songs. I
said I'd play 'Sweet Home Alabama' and that was it.
Well, they were awful. Not having rehearsed together, everything
was way off. People left in groups after just a few minutes. Our
manager was thoroughly embarrassed, but he had to stay. Finally,
they called me up there. I shook my head no. They called me
again, so I walked up to the drums on rubber legs, and said a
quick prayer for the Lord to give me the strength to get through
this, and to please make it fast! They had already started to
play, so as soon as I sat down, I just came in on the next beat.
I'd never played in front of a group of people as diverse as
this, but thankfully, my shaking was invisible as I played.
After a minute, my shaking stopped and my talent shone through.
I played almost flawlessly, missing just one cymbal crash that
was never noticed. The guys played well too, and we drew people
back into the small group of those employees daring enough to
stay in the first place. Throngs of people came back to see what
was going on, and who was that on the drums?"
It was ME! I felt great! When the song ended, I put my sticks in
my back pocket and started to get up.
"Oh, no!" I was told. Our manager came up and told me to sit
back down and play! Well, who was I to disobey a direct order? I
dutifully sat back down and we just jammed for 30 or so minutes.
When it was all over, droves of people came to me wanting to
know "Where did you learn to play like that?" and "Why did I
hide such talent?"
Rex approached me the next week asking if I'd be interested in
playing with his group at his Church. Now, I'm not a Church
goer. I have faith, I have beliefs, and I'm a very spiritual
person, but as a child and teen, I was forced into Church, and
the woman who adopted me was very cruel to me whenever we went
to Church, to the point of reducing me to tears every Sunday. I
still am uncomfortable in any Church, so I celebrate my life and
my faith privately, but faithfully.
Rex was insistent; they needed me. I finally agreed, but didn't
feel good about it. Playing with brushes in a quiet church just
wasn't my thing. Get me in a wide open space with electric
guitars and loud music, and let me feel free to really play, now
that's my thing!
I prayed about it, and slowly felt better about the whole thing.
I even brought my kids to rehearsals and Church on Sundays. We
did this for a few months, and it came time for the Christmas
show, which I was looking forward to.
The day came, and I was nervous. We had picked several songs,
most of which I was to play quietly and in the background. I
just really didn't want to mess things up! There were many
elderly folks in the congregation, and they were used to certain
things. The last song worried me because it was 'Rock around the
Christmas Tree' and it would be considerably louder than they
were used to. I had someone apologize in advance for me because
I knew I would be loud. Right before my cue, I sent a fervent
prayer up:
"Lord, please, I'm here to play for You! Please lend me your
hands so I might do that."
We got going, and immediately I found myself playing quite loud.
I kept looking over to the other members of the group, watching
for the all too familiar signs that I was too loud. There were
none. I kept watching the congregation for signs I was too loud.
There were none.
Then something amazing happened; so amazing that I almost
dropped my sticks in the middle of it all.
Some of the congregation, I mean folks older than 60, were
getting up to dance! Right there, in a Methodist Church, these
normally proper and reserved folks were dancing! I looked over
at Rex in amazement; he winked back and we played on.
The louder we got; the more into the song we got, the more they
danced. We played; they danced.
I played for the Lord that day. My voice came through my drums.
Everyone there heard my voice. It was loud, clear, and flawless.
And it was all for my Lord.
Lord, lend me your voice so that I may share my joy- and voice-
with others.