From Fight to Freedom

New skills are a pain to learn.

I'm helping a friend of mine learn how to play the drums. Now part of the problem is that I'm teaching him and not a drum instructor. But after the first session, his right hand did not want to move at different time from the left hand or his right foot. And we have yet to add the left foot.

Your brain fights these until repeated practice wins.

My other friend Jon and I had coffee the other day. (anytime you're in Molalla and need some coffee, Main Street Coffee is the place to go!) But he's been learning a ton of new skills in music and leading in worship. One of those new skills is using a click-track. For those non-musicians, a click-track keeps the beat in your ear to help you keep consistent time.

Now I've never played live with a click track. I think it might be rather annoying. So I asked how that goes, and the process for the band. He described a process that goes like this:

Fight - Focus - Freedom

Stage 1 is Fight. You abhor the click-track. It is frustrating and annoying. You wish it would go away.

Stage 2 is Focus. It's not your friend quite yet, but you realize it's helping you accomplish something greater, and stay in time as a band. But your focus is on the click-track, not the music or worship for that matter!

Stage 3 is Freedom. Your brain, your coordination, your team...is so used to playing with it that it becomes the background stability that give you the launchpad to play and sing freely.

I've see this true as I lean new skills, whether from musical instruments, to leading, to...ahem...keeping my desk clean, to learning to trust and follow the Holy Spirit.

So what are you leaning? Keep at it. Hopefully you move on into Freedom.