Walking Tall

“The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)” Habakkuk 3:19 NLT

At first I'm thinking, God prepares me for things. Then I think of training, and prep stuff. I'm tired this morning, got to bed late. Today my cousin Stephanie gets married. I'm amazed of how time has flown by these years. I was in High School when she was born. Sip some coffee, I read and think. I looked up surefooted even though I could probably guess what it meant but wanted to read it anyway. It means not liable to stumble or fall, designed as to hold well to the road. I'm reminded of several things, the movie Walking Tall, my audio visual experiences in the booth. In Walking Tall Chris Vaughn is a soldier who goes back to his town only to find it corrupt, with his integrity and ethics, he cleans up the place risking his life and hope. Its the same in audio visual, back by the mix table. I've been trained to work and control a chaotic atmosphere. I'm running a show, it's very different than being on stage. I'm controlling the atmosphere which is, lights, audio, and video. We are the lyrics, the hearing, and whether they can see people. Then we get more internal, like anything, we don't want to be noticed. We dress in black, we are in the shadows. People shouldn't notice us ever. Its a tough job a times, because as an audio guy you're constantly making sure you can hear everything for the crowd and watching the stage for cues from the leader. As a graphics person, you're the lyrics and notes, the congregation is following your lead on the screen even though your following the leader, even though the leader is following you. You also have to cue up the next songs accompanyment track. Then there's the V1 or video switcher who usually is also graphics. He transitions from cameras to lyrics and is also in charge of recording everything. He waits on the lyrics in preview to make sure they're right and when the sermon comes up, switches between camera's and slides as directed by the TD. Then there's the camera man, who's just following the action on stage to give the V1 something to go to. The engineer on sight is making sure the projectors all look the same and operating as well as monitoring and troubleshooting the stage and sound. All so that no one notices anything but has a great experience.
Chris Vaughn was trained and had to clean up house when he discovered his town was a mess. As a professional technician, it's hard for me to not do anything when I walk into a place that's a mess. Hits me, I have to go to God and say "train me, show me what to do, if anything, make me surefooted and solid, for your glory, not because of my training". Sure I can do all kinds of creative things, but is that what He wants at the moment, or do I keep it to myself. I have to remember the rules a lot and go by them. If I seek him wherever I go, I will be the way he wants me to be and not the way I see fit.