Marching Wisdom

One of my favorite times in high school was band. I was in concert and marching band and small groups. And my best friends were fellow band students.We had a great instructor who made band fun. We were fortunate enough to take two band trips during our high school years.

As a freshman I went with the band to Rapid City, South Dakota, where we marched in a huge parade and competed in their band extravaganza. We had such a good time, though my experience was clouded in pain - I had gotten braces the day before we left. Not great timing for me, but we made it. I don't remember a lot about the trip except it was a long bus trip. We got to tour the presidential faces and the bus couldn't go up the final hillside to Mt. Rushmore. We saw it both during the day and returned for the special night lighting which was very cool. We also drove through the Black Hills National Forest. This was my first "vacation" as my farm family never took trips.

The second trip was to Winnipeg, Canada, three years later. It was for another band competition and we marched down the skyscraper lined streets that left me amazed. The band did well in both competitions. It was a great experience. But it was another very long bus trip. Though now, I don't remember any problem with the ride.

Practicing for both of the trips took a lot of special effort and dedication by the band. We practiced marching before school on the football field. I don't remember how we learned our individual roles but they were critical to the success of the unit. Being in the percussion section, we occasionally got to stand and move around in the same portion of the field because of our equipment. I carried a marching snare drum attached to one leg and strapped over my shoulder.

We had black wool uniforms and white spats that we wore over black shoes. Our hats had plumes and we looked very sharp in the white and gold vest over our jackets. There were blisters and aches and pains from all the marching but we performed at all the home football games halftime and had great comradeship.

Through marching band we learned discipline to practice our music and our footsteps and patterns. We learned cooperation with the other sections of the band and we learned to follow our leader. We left behind our mistakes and worked harder to improve with each new direction. We worked together to accomplish the goal ahead. Just as we do as Christians.

"I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 3:12b-14 NIV).