Hello once again from sunny Rio!
We have had a busy couple of months, and I am glad to be at the end of the year, so that I might rest just a little bit before we start back up again next year. I am still trying to process the last few weeks, and so this update is going to be short.
Since I wrote my last update, we have had 4 medical teams with one week of rest in the middle. The two clinics we had in new areas were amazing. The pastors were overwhelmed with our work and excited about the work to be done when we were finished. The week of rest was much needed, and the past two weeks have been kind of a blur. One of the weeks we had 3 pharmacists, so I got to translate in triage for a nurse. I really enjoyed it and got to challenge a woman who was constantly anxious and really didn’t see the point in dumping all her problems on God. I shared with her about Adam and Eve and how they disobeyed God, causing separation from Him and death. Fast forward to Jesus, and I told her how God solved that problem of separation by sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and disobedience to God. I also challenged her with the Bible’s words in 1 Peter 5:7, to cast our cares upon God, for He cares for us. She just couldn’t understand why her problems would be important to God. Please pray for her (her name is Norma) and people like her, that they would understand that God created each one of us and wants us to have a restored relationship with Him.
The final team was from Brookwood Baptist in Birmingham, which is my home church. I was so thankful to have my spiritual family here for the last week, that we could encourage one another. The area that we have been in over the past few years has been plagued by competing drug factions, and members of the team had been praying since they were here last year. This year when we went to the church on Sunday, there was a peace resting on the community. It turns out that two of the factions had united and the other one was gone. The peace was evident in the faces and attitudes of the patients and church members, and they very quickly acknowledged the fact that prayer was a very important catalyst in the coming of that peace, both on the part of the Americans and Brazilians.
One of the verses that God has used to encourage me over the last month is Romans 8:29 – “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” Even with all of my shortcomings and failures (and triumphs and strengths), my life will be spent with God conforming me to the image of Jesus Christ, for I am one of the adopted children in His family. Though I am not perfect, there will be a day when I am perfect (though it may not happen in this life), for God’s purpose is to conform me to the image of His Son. I praise Him that He has purpose for us, that we are not just swept up in the current of Christianity and drift willy-nilly to the end of our lives. I praise Him that He has plans for us, and that He uses all things for our growth and His glory.
Please continue to pray for:
S, who will be having surgery at 7:00 am Central Time on Wednesday, October 31.
Our team, that we may take advantage of this time to rest and renew our minds and bodies.
Our team, as we prepare for this next year, that we may be focused on the Lord and what He would have us do.
My visa, as I still have not heard anything about its renewal.
Thank you as always for your support and prayers.
For He alone is worthy.
31 October 2007
Vacation -- the end
After our ride was over, we went into São João del Rei and shopped. Great, huh? S and I bought some pewter and furniture -- both were really inexpensive!
We stayed the night at a wonderful pousada and trucked on back to Rio the following day. All in all, our vacation was amazing and I would do it again in a heartbeat!
We stayed the night at a wonderful pousada and trucked on back to Rio the following day. All in all, our vacation was amazing and I would do it again in a heartbeat!
27 October 2007
More vacation (or vacation, day 3)
The following day we rode some more (surprise) and stopped for lunch at a place where we were provided with hammocks to rest afterwards. All I can say is wow. We moved on and during the ride into town that evening, we passed through the farm where the Brazilian Manga-larga (the breed of horse we were riding -- pretty similar to a quarter horse) is bred. When we got into town, 3 of our party were way ahead of me, and 2 were way behind. I had no idea where I was going; I just knew that the pousada was in town somewhere. Thank goodness we were in the middle of nowhere, right? There can't be that many pousadas around. When I got to the town square, I stopped to ask directions (without the help of knowing the name of the place where we were going). Here is the exchange:
Me: "Excuse me, have you seen some horses passing by here?"
Me: "Excuse me, have you seen some horses passing by here?"
Them (people sitting on the bench in the square): "Yes."
Me: "Can you tell me which way they went?"
Them: "Sure, they went on straight." (not really helpful, since I still didn't know where the pousada was, but I went on and just kept looking for horses)
Let me tell you, that is one of the greatest and most frustrating things about Brazilian culture. The exchange was much more than I can even describe, but I love the fact that I can stop a random person on the street and ask a question to kill my curiosity (or even ask directions) and I hate the fact that Brazilians will only tell you exactly what you ask for. Unless they are in a mood to tell their own entire life story.
The first picture is of me in the hammock after lunch, the second is of the kitchen of the pousada, and the third is of the family still. Minas Gerais grows a lot of sugarcane and makes a lot of cachaça (a distilled liquor made from sugarcane) -- the family that owns 
the pousada we stayed in also owns this still and manufactures and sells cahcaça.
the pousada we stayed in also owns this still and manufactures and sells cahcaça.19 October 2007
Vacation, day 2
Upon awakening at the pousada (quiet except for the birds chattering and the owner talking incessantly), we had a wonderful breakfast spread, complete with homemade cheese, fresh fruit, fresh juice, fresh bread, and coffee -- the staple of any Brazilian breakfast. Alex and Mariana brought the horses to us, and we got going about 9:30. We rode for about 3 hours, during which time Amy's horse sat down in the middle of the trail (with her on top of it), we stopped to drink out of a freshwater spring, and a jet flew right over our heads. Being from Rio, the sudden loudness was a bit frightening. We stopped to eat and rode into Prados, where all 4 of us bought boots (like it was going to make us better riders). Then we rode for 3 or so more hours until we got to the farmhouse where we would be staying.
The farmhouse belongs to a family who still raises cows and does farm-y things. Upon our arrival, the woman of the house showed us all to our rooms (Amy and I w
ere in a room with Santo Expedito, the patron saint of urgent causes). She proceeded to tell us that the bathroom was kind of far away, so if we'd like to use the chamber pot under the bed in the middle of the night, we could. It was like stepping back in time. Here are a few photos of the horses and the farmhouse.
The farmhouse belongs to a family who still raises cows and does farm-y things. Upon our arrival, the woman of the house showed us all to our rooms (Amy and I w
ere in a room with Santo Expedito, the patron saint of urgent causes). She proceeded to tell us that the bathroom was kind of far away, so if we'd like to use the chamber pot under the bed in the middle of the night, we could. It was like stepping back in time. Here are a few photos of the horses and the farmhouse.
16 October 2007
Seriously, vacation
I know that vacation posts need to be written and posted, so here goes my first attempt at just a little taste of Minas Gerais.
We left Rio Sunday morning about 10, and darned if I didn't almost get carsick on the way there. Great start, huh? It's just that our driver was driving fast (by Brazilian standards) and the road was really curvy. Thanks to all the engineers or whatever who designed those roads.
We stopped for lunch at Tiradentes, a quaint little town that was home to a strong abolitionist movement in Brasil. Then we headed on to São João del Rei, about 10 minutes down the road, where we parked the car and the jeep picked us up. Mariana took us to our pousada (bed-and-breakfast) and we settled in for the night. Here are a few pics of the pousada -- beautiful!
The water wheel and our cabin
Me on the bed in our room
We left Rio Sunday morning about 10, and darned if I didn't almost get carsick on the way there. Great start, huh? It's just that our driver was driving fast (by Brazilian standards) and the road was really curvy. Thanks to all the engineers or whatever who designed those roads.
We stopped for lunch at Tiradentes, a quaint little town that was home to a strong abolitionist movement in Brasil. Then we headed on to São João del Rei, about 10 minutes down the road, where we parked the car and the jeep picked us up. Mariana took us to our pousada (bed-and-breakfast) and we settled in for the night. Here are a few pics of the pousada -- beautiful!
The water wheel and our cabin
Me on the bed in our room
13 October 2007
12 October 2007
05 October 2007
Overwhelmed
and in need of a vacation.
And that's what I'm doing next week. We are going to Minas Gerais (a neighboring state) to travel along the Estrada Real, the road that the Portuguese used to transport the gold that they mined (in Minas) to the coastal city of Paraty (in Rio). We will be traveling on horseback, for 3 days, and staying in old farmhouses along the way. I am so ready for some time of rest, relaxation, and a clear head.
And that's what I'm doing next week. We are going to Minas Gerais (a neighboring state) to travel along the Estrada Real, the road that the Portuguese used to transport the gold that they mined (in Minas) to the coastal city of Paraty (in Rio). We will be traveling on horseback, for 3 days, and staying in old farmhouses along the way. I am so ready for some time of rest, relaxation, and a clear head.
26 September 2007
I am....
I am Charlotte Simmons. Or was, what seems like a long time ago. I just finished re-reading the book (in Portuguese), and I felt like I was watching a B-grade horror film. I just wanted to yell, "Don't go in there!", or more appropriately, "Stop right there! That's a stupid idea!" I am 10 years away (on this side) of my freshman year of college, and I think about how little I knew then. I think about how much I know now, which I realize every day is not much.
The best (and worst) part of this book: I know (or knew) these people. As I read the characters, I am swept up into memories of my own college experience, both the good and the bad.
Interestingly enough, God has given me a passion to share my life with younger women, as He instructs in Titus. I may not be much older, and I may not have much more experience, but what I do have, I want to share, that women may not make the same mistakes I have, that they may be spared unnecessary pain, that they may be encouraged. My favorite? You guessed it, college age women. I remember that as such a formational time in my own life, as have been the last 5 years. I have no doubt that the next 50 will be just as formational, and that I will continue to share whatever comes my way.
The best (and worst) part of this book: I know (or knew) these people. As I read the characters, I am swept up into memories of my own college experience, both the good and the bad.
Interestingly enough, God has given me a passion to share my life with younger women, as He instructs in Titus. I may not be much older, and I may not have much more experience, but what I do have, I want to share, that women may not make the same mistakes I have, that they may be spared unnecessary pain, that they may be encouraged. My favorite? You guessed it, college age women. I remember that as such a formational time in my own life, as have been the last 5 years. I have no doubt that the next 50 will be just as formational, and that I will continue to share whatever comes my way.
22 September 2007
19 September 2007
Update
Hi from sunny Rio!
God has been doing some amazing things down here, and I am excited to share a couple with you.
During the week of August 18-25 (A’s parents brought a team), the owner of the building (who is a Christian) that the church rents came in to see how the clinic works and was quite impressed with the setup and the care that was being given. As most of you know, a patient can come in, be treated, and get medicine or glasses all within a couple of hours, while still being treated as an individual, by someone who listens to them as a person and not as just one more unit in the mass of people coming through the clinic (which is often the case in public health care here). The church’s lease on the building was to end the Monday after the clinic, and the owner of the building sat down with the church leadership and is going to let them use the building for the next five years RENT FREE. That is a huge blessing to this (or any) church, because it frees up rent money to do other things, to tell more people about Jesus, and even to save it to buy the building eventually.
It’s exciting to see the plans that God has actually unfolding; He is so gracious to let us see a little of the blessings that He has for us!
The clinic we just had was in a new area, and the church is taking a mission trip next month to a neighboring state. They have 136 members and 50 of them are going! Praise God for calling out His own, and for their obedience to go preach the gospel.
This week we have a WMU team (funny; it’s 6 women and 8 men). Part of the group is going to build a playground at CIEM, which is the mission school, for kids of visiting missionaries. The other part is going to help one of the pastors at one of our recent churches, doing evangelism and follow-up. After that, the teams are as follows (until the end of the year):
Sept. 22-29 – medical clinic, Mangueira (one of the discipleship groups from this church has been praying one hour a day for the clinic!)
Sept. 29-Oct. 6 – medical clinic, Vila Kennedy
Oct. 6-13 – a week of rest (and a nice 3-day horseback ride in a neighboring state)
Oct. 13-20 – medical clinic, Parque das Missões
Oct. 20-26 – medical clinic, Pão e Palavra
After that, S and R will head to the US for her surgery, the TN Baptist Convention, and a little rest and time with family. I will be here probably until the middle of December (I don’t have the date nailed down yet) and spend a month in the US with my family for Christmas. I will return in January to finish out my term (which I have extended until the end of 2008) and get ready for next year.
Prayer requests:
* Continue to pray for the people of Brazil, that they would continue to be receptive to Truth and the good news of Jesus.
* Continue to pray for S and her upcoming surgery.
* Continue to pray for my visa, that God would move the hearts and hands of those in authority, and that it would be granted before December. Pray for me in the process, that I would rest in Him and not be anxious about it (I am still nervous about anything having to do with my visa).
* Pray for our teams coming in, that God would prepare their hearts to share the words that He would have them share.
Thanks as always for your prayers!
For He alone is worthy.
God has been doing some amazing things down here, and I am excited to share a couple with you.
During the week of August 18-25 (A’s parents brought a team), the owner of the building (who is a Christian) that the church rents came in to see how the clinic works and was quite impressed with the setup and the care that was being given. As most of you know, a patient can come in, be treated, and get medicine or glasses all within a couple of hours, while still being treated as an individual, by someone who listens to them as a person and not as just one more unit in the mass of people coming through the clinic (which is often the case in public health care here). The church’s lease on the building was to end the Monday after the clinic, and the owner of the building sat down with the church leadership and is going to let them use the building for the next five years RENT FREE. That is a huge blessing to this (or any) church, because it frees up rent money to do other things, to tell more people about Jesus, and even to save it to buy the building eventually.
It’s exciting to see the plans that God has actually unfolding; He is so gracious to let us see a little of the blessings that He has for us!
The clinic we just had was in a new area, and the church is taking a mission trip next month to a neighboring state. They have 136 members and 50 of them are going! Praise God for calling out His own, and for their obedience to go preach the gospel.
This week we have a WMU team (funny; it’s 6 women and 8 men). Part of the group is going to build a playground at CIEM, which is the mission school, for kids of visiting missionaries. The other part is going to help one of the pastors at one of our recent churches, doing evangelism and follow-up. After that, the teams are as follows (until the end of the year):
Sept. 22-29 – medical clinic, Mangueira (one of the discipleship groups from this church has been praying one hour a day for the clinic!)
Sept. 29-Oct. 6 – medical clinic, Vila Kennedy
Oct. 6-13 – a week of rest (and a nice 3-day horseback ride in a neighboring state)
Oct. 13-20 – medical clinic, Parque das Missões
Oct. 20-26 – medical clinic, Pão e Palavra
After that, S and R will head to the US for her surgery, the TN Baptist Convention, and a little rest and time with family. I will be here probably until the middle of December (I don’t have the date nailed down yet) and spend a month in the US with my family for Christmas. I will return in January to finish out my term (which I have extended until the end of 2008) and get ready for next year.
Prayer requests:
* Continue to pray for the people of Brazil, that they would continue to be receptive to Truth and the good news of Jesus.
* Continue to pray for S and her upcoming surgery.
* Continue to pray for my visa, that God would move the hearts and hands of those in authority, and that it would be granted before December. Pray for me in the process, that I would rest in Him and not be anxious about it (I am still nervous about anything having to do with my visa).
* Pray for our teams coming in, that God would prepare their hearts to share the words that He would have them share.
Thanks as always for your prayers!
For He alone is worthy.
11 September 2007
01 September 2007
How sweet....
I've been meaning to post about this for a couple of weeks but have been pretty lazy in my posting. David left 2 weeks ago to go back home after 2 1/2 wonderful months here. The following Wednesday afternoon, there was a knock on my door (actually, they buzzed the buzzer). Who should be standing there but a man with a dozen roses from David.
The roses came from the flower shop down the street. He ordered them on the day he left to be delivered on Wednesday. Do I have a great boyfriend or what?
The roses came from the flower shop down the street. He ordered them on the day he left to be delivered on Wednesday. Do I have a great boyfriend or what?
23 August 2007
Why, when I start getting better, do other parts of me start to fall apart? I am currently on antibiotics, trying to get rid of an infection, and my throat hurts. And my ear. Maybe it's because I'm tired -- people make me tired sometimes, and we work with volunteers. I know, I know. I do love it, though it's a strain for my personality some days. I know I need rest, but the problem is that I just can't bring myself to go to bed before 10:00, no matter how tired I am (or no matter how much I need rest). Not that I'm doing anything of value to avoid resting, though I am looking forward to a night of reading and hopefully making a bigger dent in some of the books I'm working on.
Addendum: It is not even 8:30 yet, and I have taken 2 Benadryl 25mg tablets. I did manage to learn something in pharmacy school, like the fact that these little hot-pink tablets will melt in my stomach and eventually make me very, very sleepy.... The reading is coming along splendidly, and going to bed is looking more and more appealing.
Addendum: It is not even 8:30 yet, and I have taken 2 Benadryl 25mg tablets. I did manage to learn something in pharmacy school, like the fact that these little hot-pink tablets will melt in my stomach and eventually make me very, very sleepy.... The reading is coming along splendidly, and going to bed is looking more and more appealing.
17 August 2007
Update
Hello friends and prayer partners!
I know it’s been awhile since I’ve written an update, but I’ll be short, I promise. Or at least as short as I can be.
Last time you heard from me (related to ministry), we were in the middle of June in a medical team. Since then, it’s been a blur. We have had 2 more medical teams, mission meeting, a week off, the Pan American games for 2 weeks, and we have just finished our third medical clinic since then! AND I have turned in my papers for visa renewal, which should be ready in 3-4 months. Thank you for your prayers about all these things, even when you didn’t know exactly what you were praying for. God knew, and He honored your prayers with blessings for every person we came into contact with – through the 20,000 water bottles we gave out during the Pan Am games, through medical care in the favelas, through simply getting to rest and relax for a week with fellow laborers.
The Lord has given me Jeremiah 29:7 to remind me of the fact that He has me here to seek the well-being of those who live in Rio. “Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it has prosperity, you will prosper.”
I still find it hard to express some days how amazed I am that God would orchestrate circumstances to allow me to be here, in a job that fits my skills and strengths, and challenges me to grow in my weaknesses. But on the other hand, this is what He has called me to right now, and so this is what I do. It’s funny to me how awesome and how normal it can be all at the same time. But I think that’s part of how God works. He calls us to glorify Him in whatever situation we find ourselves, whether we are “official” missionaries overseas, or at home raising children, or working outside the home in any setting. Ministry is where you are, and glorifying God is as connected to that as breathing is to life.
Prayer requests:
Continue to pray for S (my supervisor) and her family, that they will be given rest and peace in Him regarding her upcoming surgery (thyroid surgery in October).
Pray for our team and the teams coming in over the next couple of weeks. My roommate's parents and their team come in Saturday morning (August 18) and will be doing a medical clinic in Jardim América, and FBC Nashville comes in next Saturday (August 25) to do a medical clinic in Vila do João.
Continue to respond to the Lord’s charge to pray for the city He has “deported” you to.
Pray that we will rest well during our week off (September 1-7), so that we may begin again and continue to be faithful to Him who has called us.
For He alone is worthy.
I know it’s been awhile since I’ve written an update, but I’ll be short, I promise. Or at least as short as I can be.
Last time you heard from me (related to ministry), we were in the middle of June in a medical team. Since then, it’s been a blur. We have had 2 more medical teams, mission meeting, a week off, the Pan American games for 2 weeks, and we have just finished our third medical clinic since then! AND I have turned in my papers for visa renewal, which should be ready in 3-4 months. Thank you for your prayers about all these things, even when you didn’t know exactly what you were praying for. God knew, and He honored your prayers with blessings for every person we came into contact with – through the 20,000 water bottles we gave out during the Pan Am games, through medical care in the favelas, through simply getting to rest and relax for a week with fellow laborers.
The Lord has given me Jeremiah 29:7 to remind me of the fact that He has me here to seek the well-being of those who live in Rio. “Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it has prosperity, you will prosper.”
I still find it hard to express some days how amazed I am that God would orchestrate circumstances to allow me to be here, in a job that fits my skills and strengths, and challenges me to grow in my weaknesses. But on the other hand, this is what He has called me to right now, and so this is what I do. It’s funny to me how awesome and how normal it can be all at the same time. But I think that’s part of how God works. He calls us to glorify Him in whatever situation we find ourselves, whether we are “official” missionaries overseas, or at home raising children, or working outside the home in any setting. Ministry is where you are, and glorifying God is as connected to that as breathing is to life.
Prayer requests:
Continue to pray for S (my supervisor) and her family, that they will be given rest and peace in Him regarding her upcoming surgery (thyroid surgery in October).
Pray for our team and the teams coming in over the next couple of weeks. My roommate's parents and their team come in Saturday morning (August 18) and will be doing a medical clinic in Jardim América, and FBC Nashville comes in next Saturday (August 25) to do a medical clinic in Vila do João.
Continue to respond to the Lord’s charge to pray for the city He has “deported” you to.
Pray that we will rest well during our week off (September 1-7), so that we may begin again and continue to be faithful to Him who has called us.
For He alone is worthy.
11 August 2007
Waiting.....again
I went to the Federal Police (those are basically the immigration and ID guys here in Brasil) yesterday to turn in everything to renew my visa. After all that happened last year (at the consulate), I am suspicious of any visa process being easy. But that's exactly what happened.
I went to the despachante's office (that's the guy who runs around and knows everybody, which is a huge help in Brasil) and picked up my documents. I was a little worried that I would have to make copies of my passport and my protocolo (that's my little ID paper, since I don't have a card yet). Lo and behold, he had already made them and gotten them authenticated! Check off one thing on the to-do list. Once we got to the police, I asked like 3 times to make sure all the papers I needed were there. Sure enough, they were, so I paid my tax and came back to turn the papers in.
I walked out with a little sheet of paper giving me 6 more months to stay in the country, and a number that I can check on the internet in 90 to 120 days. THEN I can go back and get my visa stamped in my passport. THEN I can leave the country without worrying about having problems coming back. Geez.
I went to the despachante's office (that's the guy who runs around and knows everybody, which is a huge help in Brasil) and picked up my documents. I was a little worried that I would have to make copies of my passport and my protocolo (that's my little ID paper, since I don't have a card yet). Lo and behold, he had already made them and gotten them authenticated! Check off one thing on the to-do list. Once we got to the police, I asked like 3 times to make sure all the papers I needed were there. Sure enough, they were, so I paid my tax and came back to turn the papers in.
I walked out with a little sheet of paper giving me 6 more months to stay in the country, and a number that I can check on the internet in 90 to 120 days. THEN I can go back and get my visa stamped in my passport. THEN I can leave the country without worrying about having problems coming back. Geez.
09 August 2007
So our bus got pulled over on Sunday. Our driver swerved to stay straight instead of turning and he got pulled over. Stuff like this always happens in my bus, because my boss always rides in the bus with the good driver. The driver was talking to the police for about 15 minutes, trying to convince them that he knew somebody that he could call to get him out of it, and borrowed my phone to call the owner of the bus company. The owner showed up out of nowhere (I think he morphs into something bat-like and skulks or flies -- take your pick -- throughout the city). The bus was liberated, but not before the other bus came back to pick the 22 of us up!
How's that for a Sunday afternoon?
How's that for a Sunday afternoon?
07 August 2007
29 July 2007
Symphony or Jazz?
D and I went to hear the OSB (that's Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, or the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra) last night. As the orchestra was playing with decided precision, I started thinking.
Symphony and jazz are very different, both with their own merits. Symphony is very orderly, the same notes are played every time the piece is played, the piece was written with a specific intent by the composer, and there is no straying from the music. Each musician knows what is coming before they even look at the notes. The director, on his little stage, with his little baton, knows exactly what he is going to hear (and if he doesn't, the next practice session may not be pleasant).
Jazz, on the other hand, while always rehearsed beforehand, never comes out the same way twice. It is improvisational at its core. It is full of unexpected riffs and grace notes that some would never dream of putting in. It is laid back -- mistakes are all part of the beautiful fabric of the piece, so go ahead! Mess up! It's not the end of the world!
God is a symphony composer who is a master at the art of jazz, I think. He has ordered so many things before the beginning of the world, and He is outside the time of this music we are playing called life. He has already written a beautiful symphony, and He knows what is going to come out every time a life is lived. But as a jazz master, He knows that things do not always go according to plan. Our lives are full of screw-ups, unexpected moments, and wonderful grace. Most of the time, I feel like I am improvising, but that I am still not very good at it.
When it comes time to choose whether I want symphony or jazz, my perfectionist nature screams "SYMPHONY!", though underneath I scream to experience jazz without stressing out (or screwing up -- ha!). I want to play that music exactly how it's "supposed to be" played, when improv is called for most days. And so my prayer is that God would keep me bumbling around and learning how to play in this life lived like a jazz piece -- not always great to the untrained ear, but perfect to the composer and musician.
Symphony and jazz are very different, both with their own merits. Symphony is very orderly, the same notes are played every time the piece is played, the piece was written with a specific intent by the composer, and there is no straying from the music. Each musician knows what is coming before they even look at the notes. The director, on his little stage, with his little baton, knows exactly what he is going to hear (and if he doesn't, the next practice session may not be pleasant).
Jazz, on the other hand, while always rehearsed beforehand, never comes out the same way twice. It is improvisational at its core. It is full of unexpected riffs and grace notes that some would never dream of putting in. It is laid back -- mistakes are all part of the beautiful fabric of the piece, so go ahead! Mess up! It's not the end of the world!
God is a symphony composer who is a master at the art of jazz, I think. He has ordered so many things before the beginning of the world, and He is outside the time of this music we are playing called life. He has already written a beautiful symphony, and He knows what is going to come out every time a life is lived. But as a jazz master, He knows that things do not always go according to plan. Our lives are full of screw-ups, unexpected moments, and wonderful grace. Most of the time, I feel like I am improvising, but that I am still not very good at it.
When it comes time to choose whether I want symphony or jazz, my perfectionist nature screams "SYMPHONY!", though underneath I scream to experience jazz without stressing out (or screwing up -- ha!). I want to play that music exactly how it's "supposed to be" played, when improv is called for most days. And so my prayer is that God would keep me bumbling around and learning how to play in this life lived like a jazz piece -- not always great to the untrained ear, but perfect to the composer and musician.
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