Old Truths Are Still True
It's a line that has been around a very long time.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Practice, Practice Practice.

But it's ancient status doesn't make it any less true in this instant, modern world. As I said the otehr day in my post, I want to be able to play guitar as well as I play trumpet- but without the practice. For that matter I want to be able to play trumpet better without practicing. Yet it just doesn't work that way. Which is probably why I am not a professional musician.

I have too many things that vie for my attention and pull it away from the "drudgery" of practice. Especially the early practice that happens before my lip gets in shape or the callouses form on my fingers. I want to be able to play without hurting and for as long as I want and at the speed I want. It just never seems to happen.

In the past week I was at the Bluegrass Jam Camp and I have a trumpet piece in church on Sunday. The camp took work- and pain. Yet it was inspiring. That is one thing about an event like that. It makes me want to practice. Which I have been doing. I can actually play guitar for an hour now without real pain. And the licks I am working on are getting better. Hey, it's almost fun again.

The same is true with the trumpet work. I am playing a fun arrangement on Sunday. My lip is working right and I have the fingering down. Hey, it's almost fun again.

The contrast (and similarity) to the Christian life in all this is downright frightening to me. I too often want my Christian life to be there without practicing it. I just expect that because I believe, all will happen the right way and my faith will show through and I will know what to do when faced with decisions. I want to be a saint without going through the discipline and practice of getting there.

Which is why so many of us don't do the things we need to become the stronger, more trained and "natural" Christians. We don't pray as often we need to. We don't spend time with Jesus as often as we need to. We don't do the study and the fellowship and the worship that we need. Note that I am not saying that we "should." Should isn't where it's at. It is a question of need.

In order to be good at something, to be disciplined, and strong, and "natural" I NEED to practice it. Should is a shame-based word. Need is a personal awareness that I am lacking something and it can give me the direction to get it.

I need to practice my trumpet. I need to practice my guitar. I need to live the practices of my faith. I have a hunch that when I do that it will not be a drudgery. It will be fun!