Why I play the Bass

   It happened on a Wednesday night in March, my greatest fear. The youth band I loved decided they must move on. They had been my team for around 6 years and now in their last few months of their senior year, they felt it was time to move on. As a youth leader, this reality is always hanging out in the future. I know I will have to face such a day, but when the day looms its weary head I am never ready.

    In the spring of 2014, I realized it was time to turn over a new leaf. Thankful and reminiscent I moved forward without this cherished team I loved. The next Wednesday I sheepishly stood behind the keyboard to play a few songs of worship. Feeling as if I was standing up on the stage without a stitch of clothing on, I played as best I could (which wasn’t very good).

   It was hard to feel that God would bring together another team in that moment. Finally, Brad came up to rescue me from my broken effort to worship. Through the months to follow surprisingly a team started to immerge. I laugh now as I think of the sacrifice of pride it took on my part to stand up on the stage behind a keyboard to help those better equipped to gain the courage to help a sister out.
   

   Soon I had a vocal team, a drummer, and keyboardist, so I took up the acoustic guitar. Again this was a stretch for me. For the first few weeks, I almost died under the nerves of playing in front of actual people. I prayed before every worship service, “Dear God please help me to play better than I can, for you are the miracle working God.”

    You might think practice was the key, and that is correct except that in the middle of raising three children and balancing both my husband’s and my own ministry obligations, practice was hard to come by. One Friday night about a year after my piano worship debut, I met a young lady who was gifted at playing acoustic. I encouraged her to join the youth worship team, and to my delight, she started the following Wednesday.

    Seeing that now the piano and acoustic positions were filled I decided to pick up the electric bass that had been sitting in the corner since it’s player had gotten married a few weeks prior. Under the inspiration of my assistant Amanda, who can let it rip on the bass, I decided to try it.

     As I picked up the heavy instrument to plug it into the practice amp I instantly felt cool. Though I am 39 and probably not as trendy as I would hope, I instantly felt like head banging and yelling “Rock it!” so I did, right there in the music room when no one else was looking. Because this is the youtube age, I quickly searched “bass lesson for dummies” to find out how to play the five metal strings. After watching carefully I tried out the first song. It would have been good if my fingers would have been playing the right notes, Bummer!

    By the following Wednesday, I marched up the stairs to the second floor where the youth stage was awaiting the new bass player. I wish I could say I wowed everyone, but I don’t even know if I had my bass plugged in because I kept stepping on the cord and accidentally unplugging it. But for the first time in my life I wasn’t afraid or embarrassed to try.

   I play the bass because I can. I am thankful that it took the challenge of rebuilding a team to give me the courage to try something new. I know because I was willing to look foolish it helped young people that are more skilled to step forward.

    So to all of you who have had the courage to use your musical gift for God even when you were afraid, thank you! Even if you sweat bullets, or played more wrong notes than right you did it.

    No matter how frustrated I get at times with the responsibility of preparing music for God's people in the church I can’t shake the desire to sing praise. Even when I am tired or up against a wall, I find a melody stirring in my heart. 

    Music is important and frankly I can’t live without it, but I also realize I can’t produce it without many willing hands. So to all those teammates who have agreed to partner with me in bringing forth praise not only in the youth ministry but everywhere else, thank you. I deeply love you and appreciate the gift within you. Let's take a moment, right now, to throw our heads back and forth a few times until we feel a little dizzy and yell together, “Rock it!”