Inspiration, Move Me Brightly

we have a blessed family. we are blessed with the desire to make music...to not just repeat music that has already been made, but to make new music...music that has never been heard b4. making music (esp new music) is a lot of fun. there is much joy in the process (even when the process is difficult) and more joy when there is a finished product.

there is a melding of forces involved.

there is the force of human wit and wisdom, where the maker of music toils and labors and sweats out a finished product in the same way a carpenter builds a house or a chef prepares a meal.

there is also the force of the Maker of music's gift to the maker of music. where the natural born talent (of supernatural origin) is applied and the maker of music surrenders to the gift in him/her and (so it seems) music is effortlessly born.

now, when these two forces are combine, "magic" happens. i know that term bothers us xians. but what i mean by it is, it cannot be explained...even by one who is within the process. i don't mean sleight of hand...or illusion. nor am i giving some sort of endorsment to new age spirituality. there is something unexplicable when a person takes their learned & earned effort and combines it with their God originated talent. whether it's beethoven or the beatles it is absolutely amazing what these two forces bring about.

that's not to say this music is (or is not) acceptable. it is only saying all talent and "natural" abilities come from God. He is the creator of all life and He puts "things" in us that we can use to make a contribution to society...whether we are xian or not. i am glad the mechanic i bring my car to--who often reminds me in various ways he is not a xian!--has the God given ability to figure out what is wrong with my car and fix it. i'm also glad he as the resources to purchase equipment to help him figure things out...i see that as God at work...i try to remind him that God works thru him...that his abilities are a combination of God born talent and his own hard work and learning.

there is, of course, one last force to mention. it is God Himself. there are times God drops a piece of music ready made onto the lap of the musician with little or no effort on their part. it comes differently than just the normal gift for music God gives. it is special...it is singular...it is...rare. even for great musicians, it is rare.

well, i began writing about something else entirely...i was going to write about love...i will later today or tmw....in the mean time, i hope this was at least a little bit interesting.

pmike.