tempo

I like to walk for exercise. As in, fast -- not just saunter or amble along. But if I am walking alone, what inevitably happens is that I start off with great momentum, and gradually peter off as my energy dwindles.

One way to combat this is to have a walking partner, someone to spur me on to keep pace. But that is not always possible. So, I have found a different kind of walking partner. A real pace-setter.

Her name is Shakira.

Yep, you read it right. Shakira is my walking partner

The pumping beat of the bass drum in 'Waka Waka' is the perfect pace for my desired stride.

Granted, I have to listen to the three-minute-long song about twenty consecutive times in order to get a decent workout. But it works. The bass drum does not falter, and if I keep in step, I am guaranteed not to slack.

We had our first rehearsal the other day for a Carols Service coming up at our church. I'm playing my 15-year-old saxophone, and sitting next to me is a boy of twelve who has been playing alto for about a year. His older brother and younger sister are also part of the ensemble, and the rest of us had to giggle when all three of them admitted, "Yeah, we can't play in time." Two of the other band members looked at them and said, "Well ... you're gonna have to!"

You see, even if they hit the right notes, if they aren't counting beats with the rest of us, we are going to have a musical disaster.

Instead of playing the alto voice on the one song my little protégé is attempting to play, I decided to play soprano along with him, to encourage him to stay on track. It worked.

This snapshot of working together to keep pace helped me to see how important it is to exist in Christian community. We all need one another to spur one another on to love and good deeds, to prod us a little when our feet start to drag, to beat the bass drum in perfect rhythm when our metronome has a glitch.

I thank God for those people in my life who push me along when my pace starts to slacken.

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
Galatians 5:25