Segue

Per one of my students' request, I find myself writing devotional thoughts and have decided to share them. My hope is that my writing will be a blessing to others.

It is always interesting for me to see or hear how people introduce themselves to others because the first few words that come out often reflect what is truly important to them. Here I go:

I am a lover. I love God and people. I love God's Word and I love music.

I am a giver. I give of my time, talent, treasure, and toil.

I am a teacher. I teach people how to love God, His Word, and His gift of music to the world.

Through the years, I have often felt the need to connect my faith with the musical concepts that I encounter either as I study a score or just by living the life of a musician. It is my way of always keeping my mind alert and focused on "heavenly things" [Colossians 3:1]. It makes sense, then, for me to call this blog The Music Connection. As a particular musical idea comes to mind, I feel myself looking for a deeper spiritual truth that can be extracted from it.

One term that was introduced to me many moons ago is the musical term "segue," which, according to Coleman means "to proceed to the following movement without a break or pause." I am often faced with circumstances in life that require me to move on without lingering on what happened to me in a previous season. My life has been peppered with disappointments, losses, rejections, failures - I know those too well from auditioning - all of which can cause emotional breakdown. Yet, by the power of God's glorious might, I was bought with the ultimate price of the blood of Christ and I have been granted access to His limitless strength which enables me to move on without pause to subsequent seasons of joy, restoration, and excitement. Despite the pain that often accompanies those hard moments, I can experience fullness and joy because Christ strengthens me.

A typical musician, I tend to be quite sensitive and feel things more strongly and more intensely than most. I don't always remember that I have at my disposal the best resource for strength and stability. When challenging times bring me to a place where I have to face a move, whether major or minor, my tendency is to turn to fear. I love God's word because it always provides me with the answer I need in every situation. So to combat my fear, I go to Isaiah 43:1-3,

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire (like the three Hebrew men in the furnace), you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

How do you segue? Maybe at times you simply want to be stubborn and not change your ways, whether destructive or not. Or, perhaps, you mindlessly go with the flow without taking the time to realize what is truly happening to you. I have learned that change is good because God has called me to join His program of complete transformation into Christ-likeness. In order for that to happen, I know I will have to face many storms that will cause me to change. That period of transition is the time of segue that is so crucial in my spiritual development.

I look forward to the changes/segue that lie ahead of me and I am certain that with Jesus as my guide, many blessings will follow me wherever I go.