There’s an old Steve Martin film called The Jerk in which Steve Martin’s character thinks he has discovered that he has rhythm and has found music that “speaks” to him. I’ve included the clip with this blog for reference. I can relate so much to this clip as I have no rhythm and coming from a talented musical family, this makes me the black sheep in a sense.

It’s not that my family didn’t try to include me. They did, and it happened one Christmas when I was in 7th or 8th Grade. I was being nosy and shaking my Christmas presents when I realized that one of these gifts was indeed a tambourine. It was their attempt to include me or help me find rhythm, but alas, there was no hope. The handle of the tambourine was red and had a nice grip. It was a nice tambourine but really deserved a better owner.

Have you ever been to a bar when a “woo” girl decides it’s time to play the tambourine or the band calls one of them up? For reference, a “woo” girl is defined by the old TV show How I Met Your Mother as a girl at a bar that screams “Woo!” when the band starts to play. I am myself was a “woo” girl back in college but was not, no matter how much liquid courage I had consumed, the “tambourine woo” girl. These were special “woo” girls that had rhythm. They were more likely a cheerleader, dance line member, or just had the right genetics passed down to them.

What have I learned from the old tambourine? I’ve learned that even though I’m not a musician, there is still a place for me in the band. It’s not always your time to be on stage in the lime light; sometimes God’s most important people are in the background making sure the equipment is set up correctly or it’s your job to cheer on those in the band and yell “Woo!” God uses us all and for different reasons at different times.

Now, I know my family loves me despite my lack of musical talent and that tambourine served a purpose. God’s okay, too, with me singing a “joyful noise” on Sunday as that’s how he created me. My “woo” days aren’t quite over because my dad and sister still know how to rock so it’s fun to yell “woo!” when they play a gig.

Honestly, after this year, I may just change my mind and be the “tambourine woo” girl but I can’t promise it will be in time. I’ll shake that old tambourine in celebration of moving past this chapter and then maybe I’ll get my own “woo!”