Use it or Lose it!

I pulled out a CD yesterday of a Cantata that our choir did up at Trinity UMC a few years back titled “Behold the Darkness.” It brought back such awesome memories and got me to thinking about something that I have been missing since I have entered ministry. In reality, that is probably the most common question that I am asked on a regular basis. Do you miss your Chiropractic practice? And, what do you miss about your “previous life?” You will have to trust me when, for the most part, I can answer truthfully that I miss very little. Oh, I certainly miss the patients and people that I worked with, and I would have to admit that I miss having the extra money to pretty much do what I wanted to do, and maybe more than the money, sometimes I miss the freedom that owning your own business allowed, such as the ability to travel and to take time off whenever you want.

But, those things are really just minor thoughts that rumble through my mind at times when I am feeling sorry for myself, or after an exceptionally stressful time. Last night, however, did allow me to focus for a moment on something that I very much have missed and that is music. Almost for my entire life I have been involved in music at a fairly high level. Beginning in third grade, I became a member of the Moline Boys Choir and even had the opportunity to go on tour to New Zealand with that group. In 5th grade I joined band and was ultimately accepted to play in the Quad City Youth Symphony in my last 2 years of High School. Our High School choir produced 2 different recordings while I was there, and we were selected to perform for the National Music Directors Convention in Kansas City.

Since that time I have been privileged to perform in a great number of large exceptional choirs as well as numerous small groups. Up until entering ministry I was involved in a large number of musical activities every week such as Chancel Choir, Hand Bells, Praise Team, “Like Living Stones” (Church Group) and “Sons of Jubal” (Gospel Group). These groups kept me busy, on average, between 6-8 hours every week (sometimes more). I still remember as one of the highlights of my life, standing near the top of a 30 foot high cross, surrounded by 50 exceptional voices, singing in a Cantata at the First Baptist Church in Seymour. We even had an orchestra backing us up. It was a totally awesome experience which I think of often at this time of year.

A fear that I have is that one of nature’s undeniable laws is “Use it or Lose it” If we don’t use something, we will gradually lose the use the use of it. This can best be demonstrated when you break your arm and it is put into a cast for four weeks. When you finally get the cast off, your arm is pale, stiff and withered. In reality this process begins almost immediately. I have seen a tremendous difference in my voice over this past four years. Instead of singing up to 6 hours a week, I now sing maybe 30-45 minutes total, and I have notice a definite loss of control and breath support. I believe it was Luciano Pavarotti, the renowned opera singer that said, "if I miss one rehearsal, I can tell a difference. If I miss two rehearsals, my critics can tell a difference, and if I miss three rehearsals my fans can tell the difference." Trust me when I say that I am really beginning to tell the difference and it will be my hope and prayer that after the stress of seminary is over, that I will have more time to participate in the musical activities of the church that I love so dearly.

Blessings