The Sound Guy

The flight was just from Denver, CO to San Diego, CA but the guy beside me looked like he had a story to tell (how’s that for an opening line, Lucado? :)). He was surely in his mid 50’s, had several tattoos, longer hair in a pony tail and he was jacked (for those of you over age 40 that means very muscular). He had sort of a knowing look about him.

Don’t remember how the conversation started, probably something about how full the plane was, I think we ended up with the only set of seats with with a seat between us. He looked like he was in the music field and important. Sooo, I know I wasn’t supposed to...but...I asked. “So what takes you to San Diego?” He said, “well, I do sound for NASCAR and we’ve got a meeting out there.” Now, I’m not really a NASCAR fan but I can only imagine how challenging it would be to do sound there. So we started talking. He’d been in the sound business for 30 years. Said he did a lot of work in Nashville. I asked him “Thirty years, what’s the neatest thing you’ve ever seen? I mean have you done sound for any big names?” Well, I was with Areosmith before the Soviet Union opened up and Steppenwolf when the Berlin Wall came down. But I suppose my trip to Africa with Bono was the best thing I’ve ever done.” Uh, yeah.

I’ve never thought a time about the sound guys at concerts, about the challenges they face and the significance of their role. See, Bono is awesome but if the lowly sound guy, who may not be able to carry a tune in a bucket, doesn’t do his part people can’t hear Bono.

This guy was BIG, he’d been with the best of the best. He was humble about it all.

I kind of see my life this way. I don’t get to do the great things - it is God that is doing them - but I get to be there, to witness it, and to be a small part of it. I sort of get to “do sound” for God. If we don’t do our job well, tell others about Christ, then God’s message doesn’t get heard. My last post may have left the impression with some that I may not love what I do, let me be clear, I do.

What a blessing. And in my best moments, I get to see God do some amazing things. As we’ve watched Spring Meadows blossom and grow some have mistaken the success to be because of any one of us. That’d be like my sound guy friend thinking Steppenwolf or Cher or KISS or Faith Hill’s success was because of him. We are blessed...we get to “do sound” for the BEST!