(By the way - the last post title was a song reference. Bonus points to
anyone who can correctly guess its point of origin.)
Life moves faster than we ever expect. I remember my good friend
Garry once telling me about a missionary whose tattered, worn
book he read. The missionary's name was Jim Elliott. I'm not a
huge fan of missionaries but this guy was intense. He was killed
at the age of 26 but wrote some pretty inspiring stuff before he
was gone. In his book 'Shadow Of The Almighty', he wrote the
words 'Wherever you are, be all there'.
I remember my friend telling me about that quote way back and
how it moved him. So often, we get hooked on some ideal in a
far away land but forget that we are placed where we are for a
reason. We all have purpose within the specific community we
inhabit. I am convinced that if more North Americans were
committed to the betterment of their own backyards, this
world be an amazing place. Instead, though, we leave. We run
from problems. We blame. We travel.
We are not all there. I am as guilty as everyone.
I am in a band. It is a work in progress but sometimes I am
afraid to put both feet in the bucket. I am not afraid of failing,
musically, because I have done that many times. I am mostly
afraid of having no money AND what people will think of me.
It's true. But if this band and musical project is to go anywhere,
I need to be 'all there'.
Tough call.
