“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go’…So Abram went” That was it. Obedience. God said it, so he did it.
Is that your experience? I think many of us would have to admit that it is not. One way my experience is different from Abram’s is that the Lord hasn’t ‘said’ to me. The second way is that when God does communicate with me, through sermons, scripture, the voices of others, or even directly, I don’t always do what he says!
I do claim that God has spoken to me many times in my life. In truth, God speaks to whoever will listen. But if I do not do what God says, the voice gets softer in my mind. I guess I’m trying to say that if you want the kind of relationship Abram (eventually Abraham) had with God, you have to listen and obey.
At times in my life, and specifically my career, I have been in regular, intimate connection with God. That connection has impacted my work significantly. But when the connection is irregular or I am not committed to doing what I am told to do, my work suffers.
Open your ears and your heart! Take action, and build the connection.
Maybe you do not hear God’s voice ringing out in your band room. One way to begin to reconnect and to open your ears is to pray for your students! Do it at lunch time or during your prep period. Grab a roster and lift up each name. Open yourself to be an influence on your clarinet section. I’m not talking about God miraculously improving their technique! Ask God to begin in them the same connection you are privileged and blessed to enjoy.