My Story- Part One
Playing For Jesus
I started playing drums at the age of 10. Lessons started on just a snare drum learning the basic rudiments . As I got older, I fell in love with rock music and had aspirations of being a famous rock star when I grew up. I was always involved with marching bands and when I got to junior high school I quickly made my way to being captain of the drum line. I was introduced to a drum kit when I was in the eighth grade and knew that was what I wanted to play. When I was a junior in high school, I had the privelage of playing in The Crossmen drum and bugle corps. That was where I really learned how to play! I had no idea what I was getting into.
Before I tried out for the drum corps, I was being told by my band director that I was the best drummer he had seen at my school so of course I went up there with an inflated ego about myself. I was quick to learn that I was out of my league and wanted to quit after the first night of try outs. Thank God for a mother who encouraged me to keep going because I really learned to play that summer. That was the first memory of God bringing me back to reality. One thing I have learned in my life experience is that being a musician, like anything else, can be an ego driven lifestyle. I think that is something we as Christians and non-believers have to deal with. If we let our ego get the best of us, we forget about the people around us.
That summer on tour with the Crossmen gave me my first experience of being on my own in the world and I loved it. I was introduced to all kinds of things the enemy uses to get us away from God. Alcohol,drugs,sex,stealing were some of the things I learned about when I was on the road. I even got my ear pierced which back then was a huge act of rebellion in a Christian home but man I was cool. When we got backfrom tour,I was a changed kid wno thought he was a man. I was cocky,and forgot that it was God who gave me the opportunity to do all that stuff. That is one of the things that amazes me about God, that He sends gifts and opportunity our way and then steps back and waits to see what we do with them. If there is one thing I could say to anyone it’s this- always remember God gives us talents and all he wants us to do is use them for his glory and not ours. He will reward us when we do that. When we use them for our own gratification, He just might take them away which is what I will write about in my next post.
Wow Rob!