"What Are These Strings For?"

Stephen Wright, a comedian, did a routine many years ago that I still remember. Actually, I remember a lot of his routines. If you know who he is, I guess that gives you a glimpse of the humor I like. Anyway, he brought a guitar out on stage and started playing a song he had written. He soon stopped and asked, "What are these strings for?" I know it's not funny as you read this, but if you're familiar with his delivery, it was actually quite humorous.

That's how I felt playing guitar last Sunday - "What are these strings for? What are strings? What's a guitar? Have I ever played one before?" Argh! I had practiced for hours during the week, but on Sunday it all went out the window. Many years ago, I would have beat myself up for all the mistakes, when in truth, most people in the congregation probably didn't even pick up on most of them.

What's cool about God is that he is able to use us. He chooses to use us. In spite of our mistakes. In spite of our imperfections. In spite of our sometimes trying to keep him at a distance. So, I don't beat myself up too much anymore. Is it humbling? Yes. Is it something I'm happy with? No. But I have learned this through my years in leading worship - that God uses what happens in the service. No matter how badly we think we've blown it, there is always someone in the congregation that heard something beyond the mistakes that were so obvious to us, and THAT is what mine and our focus needs to be on. Not the mistakes, but on the fact that God uses us and our times of worship together in ways we don't always understand to impact, challenge, and enrich our lives and the lives of the people in the congregation.