Learning Curve Pep Talk by Susan L.

  Why is it a curve anyways? Shouldn't learning be in a straight line?
  I took my flute to practice on Thursday and sort of fuddled around with some of the accompaniment. Fuddled is a good word. Now Susan, be fair. I hadn't ever seen some of the music and didn't know the tunes. The leader wasn't well and you only had two days advance notice of Sunday's music choices. There simply wasn't enough time to learn five songs.
  Perfection doesn't come overnight. Neither does the ability to improvise counter melodies. Throwing four sharp notes into the mix only made things more complicated!! I forgot how to play one of them. Relearning how to read music, to follow along all of its twists and repeats and jumping around will also take some time.
  Maybe the learning curve is all about getting lost and following the Lord until I find my way again.
  Patience. It will come. Practice. It will come.  It wouldn't hurt to ask the worship team leader for some more guidance. (Stop squirming, you can ask for help!) You can ask her to write out any music she would like played. The ability to improvise will grow with the knowledge of how to pick out such things from the music. Perhaps we could get together so I could learn more of what she wants from a rusty flautist and to give her the opportunity to assess my ability.
  Or maybe playing the flute is jumping the gun a bit. It might be wiser to simply learn the songs vocally and gradually introduce the instrument. Or maybe I am expecting too much of myself. Again!!
  Susan, there is no need to get stressed out about this. God, in His sufficiency, will make sure anything and everything you need will be there. God knows your heart, He knows you only want to be the best you can be. He will honour that and provide the grace until you reach that point.
  Praise God!! And that is what worship is supposed to be all about. Even the wrong notes!
  "Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength and in Your favor our horn is exalted." Ps 89:15-17