and the band played on . . .

so today . . . is sunday. that means church day for me! my day starts early, because i lead worship in our youth alternative service and we meet to rehearse at 8:30--although it is usually closer to 9:00 before everything is set up and ready for us to begin. but i have to be there at 8:30, because i am the leader . . . whether anyone is there to lead or not!

today there were issues and glitches, and it was almost 9:30 before we got started! that only gave us about half an hour to run through all seven of our songs. this particular band has only been playing together for about three months, and we are still learning how to play nicely together so we NEED to rehearse! finally we got started, and things went really well--the set was good, the vocals were good, and the instruments seemed to be working well together. when we got done, i thought how great it was that we were starting to mesh as a band. i was really excited for church to start.

we took a little break before the service began, and then met at the cross to pray. this always helps us to focus and kind of mentally get ready for what we are about to do. we were excited! it felt like it was going to be an awesome day.

and then it happened . . . during the very first song one of the strings broke on the guitar. i could tell something was wrong, and i looked over at isaac, who plays the guitar, and there was the string bouncing about, loose. this is not a good thing! i was trying to figure out where we would have a long enough break for him to replace the string, but isaac just kept playing. and playing and playing and playing. we completed the whole set with just five strings on the guitar. there were a few times when it was distracting to me, and i'm sure it was distracting to isaac, but he just kept going. i was so proud of him! he didn't let that broken string stop him from worshipping this morning, even though things weren't going perfectly.

our church is so cool! and the service that i attend is the best! at least i think so. it is dark, it is loud, stuff happens, but we just keep going. it isn't about who is dressed the best, or who has the best voice, or who plays perfectly. it is about God--and that is all. teenagers and young adults (and some not so young adults) sing and clap and move around and praise God during worship time. they get up out of their seats and go to the cross to pray whenever they feel like it. and they don't care who sees them go or what anybody else thinks about it, because they know that for us, church isn't about that. it is about God--and that is all.

i feel very blessed today for the role i get to play in that service. we have awesome teens and young adults in our church, and i am so glad that every week i get to see them and talk to them and watch them become the people they were created to be. they are goofy and funny, wild and weird (and i mean that in the nicest possible way, because i love them!) but they love God and are serious about their faith. i don't know how long i will get to lead worship in there, but it doesn't matter--i will still be there, in the gym, worshipping God along with the kids. because it isn't about me or how old i am or about what other people think. it is about God--and that is all.