Broken Strings Are Good Things

Do you play guitar? Ever broke a string playing something important? Ever break a string while leading worship? It's happened to me several times in the last few years, actually. I've learned to stay ahead of the game by changing the strings more often and running a folded bit of very fine sandpaper over the saddle grooves to knock down any burrs that might encourage string breakage.

Just this last Sunday I broke my "A" string during the second song of a six-song worship list. Well, I muddled through the rest of the song, singing my heart out to the Lord. But then I had to stop, pull the appropriate bridge pin and get the ruined string out of my way. While I was attempting to check my tuning, I explained that certainly "King David broke a string now and then." The guitar sounded in tune, so we continued.


However, although the remaining five strings on the guitar were in tune with themselves, the whole guitar had gone slightly sharp. (Don't worry - I'm getting closer to the point of this post)
This might have worked out alright, except that mine was not the only instrument making music to the Lord. My guitar was definitely sounding sour playing along with a piano, a saxophone and two other guitars. So I stopped playing.

And that's when my frustration and disruption turned to blessing.

First, I let my electric rhythm guitar guy know in "stage sign language" that he would have to take over. This young man is a member of our youth group and my mishap provided him the opportunity step up and shoulder a little more responsibility. And he did so fabulously, with the right tempos and chord changes. I congratulated him later.

Secondly, the Lord checked my pride. I really am not one to be arrogant, or really even that prideful. But sometimes I can see it on the horizon and it worries me, you know what I mean? Every time I take up my guitar and face a microphone and a group of worshippers and begin to lead . . . I feel the weight of the responsibility and must be on my guard so that "self" doesn't get in the way of the Spirit. This was an opportunity to fully realize that, well, I am expendable.

Third, with my instrument down for the count, I could let go of it, put away the pick and raise my hands and worship Almighty God along with the rest of the body. It. Felt. Wonderful. There are so many times while playing that I want nothing more than to lift my hands in worship, but I just can't do that every time I feel like it, and especially not when the rest of the team is counting on the sound I'm making to lead them.

So, as frustrating as it is when guitar strings break or anything else doesn't go "my" way, the turn of events pretty much always points me in a better direction.

Romans 8:28 (ESV) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.