©altpress.com
Drumming to a different beat may
leave me like a castaway
when all the while the background riffs
intend to love and further lift with beats convey.
My offbeat tempo sounds askew
yet in an orchestra imbues
a different groove and sometimes sends
the music higher to ascend into breakthrough.
We all embody different tones;
apart we play a tune alone.
Together declare rhapsody
as licks I play blend gracefully to praise the Throne.
A different drummer, “broke the mold,”
Is sometimes left out in the cold.
I ache to blend, yet God discerns
it’s for His heart my heart does yearn, thus I’m consoled.
With sticks and brushes, I’ll remain
the drummer with the same refrain
of lavish love and tender grace;
God’s open arms, His warm embrace, welcome domain.
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
Thank you to my lovely friend Cate for the inspiration for this poem.
Susan Irene Fox 
I like this one in particular, Susan!
Steve
LikeLike
I love this poem! I especially like this part:
“My offbeat tempo sounds askew
yet in an orchestra imbues
a different groove and sometimes sends
the music higher to ascend into breakthrough.”
It’s our differences that make us such a beautiful sounding “orchestra” to God, and why we need each other. As you’ve stated throughout the poem, we become better as a part of the whole than by being apart from the whole. Awesome Susan. Amen!
LikeLike
Thank you, Mel. And thank you especially for being first chair in the orchestra I play for. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Awesome
LikeLike
Thank you.
LikeLike
Years ago the Lord spoke to Susie and I both in a dream/vision, what-have-you and showed us not just a school of fish, but a massive school of fish following the currents and such of the ocean, just drifting along. We had been praying for direction and this was His answer to us and He revealed to us, He wanted us to go AGAINST the easy current, much like Salmon swimming upward against the river’s mighty currents and if we wouldn’t follow the flow, He would lead us and direct us. I guess I forgot that for a while cause sometimes it’s much easier to “follow the flow” but the fact remains, is we either be obedient to His direction alone, no matter how it looks, or we face the penalty of disobedience.
We watch a lot of nature shows and in the ocean, many in massive schools that follow the easy current, end up in what is called “bait balls” and end up food for the ocean’s predators. With all the medical stuff that has happened, I’m too old NOT to be obedient to the Lord and His Word and I have to do what He says, as we all do. Sometimes you DO feel like a lone drummer, but like He did with Elijah, He always let’s you know there are others who won’t bow to disobedience!
God poetry and inspiration! Your gift is definitely strong in this area!
LikeLike
Thank you, Roland, for the encouraging comments and the analogy of the salmon. Even though I sometimes crave belonging, like being a background member of an orchestra, I understand God has set me aside to play solo for a reason.
I want you to know, sweet brother, I so appreciate your kind and moving words. They bring to me a lightness of being that lift me up in times like these. ❤
LikeLike
It is often we find ourselves walking alone with God. It is our journey no others. Trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us and conform us to an image of Christ. I believe we become true disciples when we can walk alone with Christ. If we are following his word and leading.
Peace to you
LikeLike
Thank you, Tom, and peace to you as well.
LikeLike
Very interesting Susan. I know precisely what you mean – when you are marching to God’s beat,by times you are going the opposite way of everyone round you. It can be quite funny at times – most will follow the lead provided by either the environment or by others. Sometimes this is in the direction of God, sometimes not – meanwhile you are roaring along in what appears to be your own path but is really God’s path.
You know when you manage people, you work at moving the obstacles from their path so they can work in the most productive, safest, efficient manner that they personally can discover. This means that often people’s work habits are very different – but that is natural as each follows God’s given talents and skills. Many companies try to normalize everything by instituting rules regulations and best practices. Often one can take bits and pieces from these to better their own work processes,but still the best route is individual. Anyway, at one point I was a transportation manager for a large retailer ($1 billion +) and the shippers were all my responsibility as well. Working together we had increased the efficiency of the shipping department by 250%, reduced injuries to zero, reduced absenteeism to zero, and raised morale. It was simple – when I took over, I moved any obstacles from the 10 shippers path and enabled each to work in their own best manner. They were free to set their own schedule (as long as they let me know so I could answer questions from above), they arranged their own work space, they had dedicated equipment that no one else touched, etc. I just gave them the schedule of the trailers loading/leaving and expected them to meet that schedule as it was critical for delivery times at the stores. They consistently beat the schedule. They had 24/7 communications with me and were encouraged to ask any questions.
So, one day my boss’s boss called me into his office for a chat. He complained that one of my shippers had been sitting at the desk ,with his feet on the desk and his eyes closed at 8 a.m. when he walked by. I knew about this and explained that Jeff was thinking – he found this the best way to think. He planned his day’s work in his head and went over it to find any areas requiring extra attention and made sure all loads would fit – Jeff had a photographic memory and could see in his head every piece of freight on the dock as long as his eyes were closed. Mike (the big boss) objected saying that it set a bad example. I told Mike that Jeff’s error rate was amongst the lowest in the warehouse, his efficiency was at the top of the crew, his safety was admirable and he had regularly increased his productivity period over period: loading more trailers every week in the same time and setting a standard only equaled by our very best. Mike asked if Jeff could do this with his feet on the ground and eyes open.I told him :”No” That was the way Jeff was most productive and that was the way I wanted him to do it – given his skills. Mike said that he was getting complaints from other departments (our guys knew the reasons) about Jeff with his feet up and eyes closed. I showed Mike the big increases in productivity and reductions in costs. He whined about the bad optics. I told him I would buy drapes for the window and ask Jeff to keep the door closed – that would take care of the optics while protecting the efficiency. Mike agreed.
And following God’s path is exactly like that Susan – often there are roadblocks simply because you are not following the same path as others. Sometimes it requires adaptability and out-of-the-box thinking to just find a way to follow God’s path without getting stopped by others.
Great post Susan,. Thank You.
As an aside, I have a guest post over at Mark Bialczak’s https://markbialczak.com/2016/09/11/potpourri/comment-page-1/#comment-83282 I would be honored if you had the time to drop by for a read. Thank You
LikeLike
Great example, Paul. And wonderful way to seek solutions.
Of course I will make time to read your post; I always learn from your heartfelt words.
LikeLike
Thank you so much Susan.
LikeLike