A God thing

This weekend I was reminded, yet again, of how well God knows my heart.

There are times in my life, these days, where I just don’t feel like I belong. Don’t get me wrong, I have amazing friends, but sometimes it’s difficult in relating because my life is so different from those that are in my life. I either have friends that are older than me, with jobs, maybe in a serious relationship or married, or those friends that are still in college. “Welcome to being in your 20s!” my friend Landre told me yesterday.

But this last week/end was right in the heart of that with college friends making spring break plans. I don’t get spring break, I was tired all week. I was just in a bad mood. My friend Landre called me Thursday night and we caught up on what was going on in my life. She’s awesomely amazing God-filled woman who is an amazing mentor. She was a good reminder of God looking out for me. Sometimes it’s just the little things, like a phone call that changes your perspective.

Come Friday, I was ready to just sleep for the rest of the weekend, but I had to lead worship this weekend. Friday night we had our first rehearsal and I wasn’t really into it. During practice, I entered a contest to go see Ellie Holcomb at her private album release party. Now, let me explain to you that I have terrible luck, I rarely win things, but when I do–it’s always just what I need and always a God thing. I received an email in the middle of rehearsal that I had won tickets. I was on the fence as to whether I should drive up to Nashville for this concert, since I know I probably didn’t have anyone to go with me, thanks to spring break.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon. I had just stepped off stage from leading worship when I got a text message from Landre, asking me to pray for her since she’s going to be flying to Nashville for the day to pray with some friends. Right then and there, I decided I needed to go to this concert. So I told her that I was planning on going to the concert and how we should plan on meeting up. Turns out, she was going to the same concert. Like I said–a God thing.

I had never really listened to Ellie Holcomb’s music, but I figured it would be worth the time spent and it was a free concert. Ladies and gentleman, if you have no idea who Ellie is, go listen to her stuff and then buy it and then tell your friends about it.

From the second Ellie got on stage, there was something different about her. You could just tell that Jesus was radiating through her. Every single one of her songs had a positive message about Jesus in it. And I could tell that she believed every word of what she was singing. I could also tell these songs came from really personal experiences and these were promises that God had given her. What made the concert really cool, was the random opportunity to sit next to her father, Brown Bannister. If you don’t recognize that name, he helped produce most Christian albums in the 1990s and 2000s. He was so proud and that was incredible to experience and watch her beaming from stage as well as her father beaming from his seat in the third row.

“I know that I don’t bring a lot to the table
Just little pieces of a broken heart
There’s days where I wonder if You’ll still be faithful
Hold me together when I fall apart
Would You remind me of who You are
That Your love will never change and there’s healing in Your name
and You can take broken things and make them beautiful
You took my shame and walked out of the grave
So Your love takes broken things and makes them beautiful uh oh
And make them beautiful uh oh and make them beautiful uh oh” (from The Beautiful Broken by Ellie Holcomb)

“These songs came from time spent in God’s word. They’ve all got scripture woven in the melodies. Why? Because God’s word revives the soul. it doesn’t come back void, it gives me something solid to hold onto as I fight off the lies I believe.” She explains in her Kickstarter video. “I want to sing truth into the darkness.”

YES YES YES YES YES!

God revived a part of my heart that was on life support. I’m thankful for the random pieces of my weekend that were able to be put together and how much I needed every bit of it. I can’t doubt God and what He’s doing in my life because He knows exactly what I need every single time. Thank you Landre for listening to God and visiting Nashville, not just for me, but for being instrumental in a part you didn’t even know about. Thank you Ellie for bringing beautiful music that lights up the dark parts of life. I am blessed and can’t wait to see what else and WHO else God brings into my life to encourage me to continue living for Him and shining BRIGHT His wonderful and endless love.

I got to meet Ellie and tell her how much her music meant to me that night. I drove home in the pouring rain, listening to her songs over and over again. I got home close to 1 am. Yes, work was difficult to get through because I was tired, but the trip was worth every rain drop, every tear, a full tank of gas and little to no sleep because God awakened my heart again to His love and mercy.