When I was a kid, I felt like my days in school were never-ending. After I graduated high school, I constantly had dreams that I forgot to do my homework, wasn’t prepared for a test, or simply that I forgot to get dressed. I would wake up, relieved that I no longer had that pressure on me.
Little did I know…
Learning doesn’t stop once you graduate from the governmental structure of the educational system. Learning is something that will always be a part of our lives, no matter how old we grow. If you stop learning (or detest it), you will grow stagnant and complacent in your life. That’s a dark road to walk, and it will ultimately lead to one’s demise.
Over the course of the last 10 years, I have found myself needing to learn very detailed and specific things. At times, I have grown quite frustrated when that need has presented itself. I would often use the rhetoric that for once it would be nice if something just came easy or natural. Except that’s not the way life works. I’ve come to realize that even when it looks like something comes easy for someone, there is usually a whole lot happening behind the scenes that I am not privy to.
Psalm 33:3 says, ‘Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.’ This Scripture has been pivotal in my journey of learning over the last 3 years. I chuckle when I think about the first time I played keys on stage during worship. Very few people knew I liked to play the piano secretly in my own home. We, being the lead pastors, arrived at church one Sunday morning and the worship leader informed us that there was no one to play keys. Someone piped up and offered my services in front of the group. Of course, when you lead a small church, you have to have a willingness to do whatever is needed, even if it’s not your area of expertise. So, I decided to play.
Hold on, because I’m not sure you fully grasp the magnitude of that decision.
I was not a skilled musician. I’m not even sure I could call myself an actual musician. I was a girl who tinkered around on a piano at home. I didn’t know how to keep timing. I didn’t know there was such a thing as different keys. I didn’t know how to follow a click. I didn’t know how to function with IEM (in-ear monitors). I didn’t know how to play with anyone else. I had never played in front of anyone, let alone in front of 150 people. What I did know was how to play a few chords, and that when God asks you to do something, He equips you. I stepped out – and I would love to say that I played the most beautiful sound ever, but I didn’t. I messed up royally. That’s why I chuckle every time I think about it.
You know what? No one even bats an eye at my mistakes a few years later. What people remember is that the pastor just did what was needed in the moment it was needed. It sparked an inspiration (IYKYK) for multiple people to step out into unknown territory and try something they’ve always wanted to do, but didn’t want to feel silly or stupid in front of anyone.
A short time after I started playing keys, we found ourselves in need of a worship leader. We spread the word about it, but nothing came to fruition. So, our philosophy in leadership and life has been, if there’s a need and no one to fill it, as the leaders of this house, God’s grace will be there for me to fill that role.
I began diving into learning everything I could about music, playing on stage with a band, and creating an atmosphere of unity and worship. In my ‘spare’ time, I worked on my skills. I took a course on learning how to play the keys. I practiced hours and hours each day. I took courses in learning how to lead a band. I signed up for a singing course. I hired a music teacher. I took a few courses on sound engineering and mixing. I researched, learned, applied, failed, researched again, learned more, applied again, fixed some things, failed a bit more, etc, etc.
Fast forward a few years. Here we are in 2025. Am I a great musician? No. Am I a great leader? No. Am I perfect? Not even close. Am I more skilled than I was 3 years ago? Absolutely. Why? Not because it came easy or natural. Not because I was fearless and knew I could do it. It was because I have a firm belief that we are all called to be true worshippers. For me, learning these skills is helping me flow much easier in leading others into the presence of God. I know God’s purpose for me in this directive. It hasn’t been easy, I have cried, lost sleep, battled the mental fight, battled negative comments, battled the feeling of being an imposter, given up personal time and my days off, and subjected my family to odd and loud vocal workouts at 4am. Yet, I wouldn’t change a thing. Growth happens when we press on through the struggle. The thing that helps me weed out the worry of what others think of me is simply, I want to do this. I enjoy doing this. The only person’s opinion of me that truly matters – God. And since I know from His Word what He says about me, I find comfort and peace in who I am.
Learning is fun. Keep growing, keep pressing on, know God’s purpose for your life – and don’t let the enemy convince you otherwise. Whatever He has asked you to do, do it as unto God and not unto men (see Colossians 3:23).
Rowena Francis 