Never Miss A Beat

My oldest daughter sent me a text on Sunday morning.
She was working in the sound booth at church and needed to be there early that morning.
It’s your little friend, Mom.
She’s playing the drums today.

My little friend, who gave me the pictures she drew of her and me.
The one who used to call me, the lady with the red lips, until I became Miss Gina.
The one who comes over to me each week and gives me a hug.
The one who loves animals and will have a stuffed animal or toy lizard on her shoulder.

My daughter told me that my little friend would be playing the drums.
I was not prepared for how incredibly talented she was.
She was playing on the large drum set and she mastered it.
This was not a little girl on a snare drum; this was an official drummer girl.

My daughter told me something else in her text.
When my little friend finished, her mother sat down to play the rest of the songs.
When the next song began, her mom drew a blank and could not remember the beat.
My little friend stood in front of the drums and directed her mother with her hand.

I smiled imagining the scene in my mind.
It was amazing; you would have loved it, my daughter’s text read.
I would have.
Imagine an adult being taught by a child.

I talked to my little friend after church.
I told her that I was very proud of her.
She, with her adorable smile and expressive eyes, seemed to take it all in stride.
Thank you, she said with her feet barely touching the floor.

I thought of all the music I grew up listening to on my stereo.
When I listened to a live album, the band would inevitably introduce its members.
Guitarist, bass player, piano player would play their instrument as they were introduced.
I always waited for the drummer.

The song was never the same without the drums.
It is the drum that keeps the beat.
It is the drum that makes you tap your foot or drum on your steering wheel.
The music is dull without the percussion.

And then I had a son who played drums.
From the beginner snare, to his first set I purchased used, he mastered the instrument.
He had a CD player next to his drum set and played along with the music.
Jazz, rock, and often his own beat that was inside his head, filled my house each day.

It was one of the first things he did when he got home from school.
It was what he would do after dinner.
The table became a drum.
In fact anything became a drum to this boy who always thought in terms of rhythm.

The, no playing drums after 7:30 pm rule soon went by the wayside.
Between his drums and his guitar, he filled our house with music.
I looked at my little friend at church and I saw my son.
I saw a child gifted with musical talents beyond her years.

I watched my little friend hurry back to her seat after she finished playing.
Her mom stood nearby her just in case but my little friend never missed a beat.
She hurried back to her seat and a woman sitting behind her gave her a high five.
Encouragement and one generation helping another took place that morning.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)

Let us keep in step with the Spirit.
That verse came to mind as I was watching my little friend play the drums.
I imagined the rhythm of the Holy Spirit as the drumbeat of our lives.
I imagined a marching band playing in sync with each other.

If one member of the marching band is off beat, you notice.
It would be glaringly obvious.
That is how it is with our spiritual walk.
We must keep in step with the Spirit; if we are off beat, it is noticeable.

If one member of a marching band walks the wrong way, it is a disaster.
They are out of step.
Isn’t it interesting that God uses the same example in His Word?
Let us keep in step with the Spirit.

My little friend did what we all should do in our Christian walk.
She did it when she stood in front of her mother and directed her with her hands.
She encouraged her mother and spurred her on.
She helped her mother keep the beat.

We all should be doing that for each other.
We should be helping each other keep in step with the Spirit.
We should be spurring each other on as we walk this spiritual journey together.
We should be directing and guiding gently with the rhythm of the Spirit.

The Spirit determines the beat.
The Spirit sets the pace on our spiritual walk.
The music of our life is fuller because of His drumbeat.
The percussion is a joyful noise to the Father as we keep in step.

Can you hear it?
Are you following?
Are you in step with the Spirit?
Listen closely to the rhythm of the Holy Spirit and never miss a beat.