What a weekend I had! Busy from Friday through to Sunday ... but it was so worth it.
Friday, I arrived at work prepared for an extremely low key day but then my boss started calling people into offices and talking with them. Layoffs? Well, it was my turn so I went in with her and she told me that an attorney put a request in two years for me to be his new secretary when his retired. What do you say to that? Its an odd enough feeling to know that attorneys don't want you taken away from them ... its even odder to discover that you are being requested years in advance. It definitely makes you want to cling to God ... because you know you aren't doing this of your own strength. So its one of those situations where you want to do your best so God is glorified but its also nerve-wracking because you are prone to mess up. Some days you just might not give your very best ... and you hope and pray it doesn't reflect badly on Him.
Then as the work day is nearing to a close and I'm packing up and getting ready to go home, make some brownies for Ronald McDonald House, work on some bass lines and welcome in the Sabbath, I get a text message that our Pastor will be away so we are praise team. And there ended my dreams of relaxing evening. I did make the brownies (delicious ... even though one batch I ran out of oil ... ah the beauty of a God who cares about the little things), I worked on one bass line, went to rehearsal and then collapsed into bed, exhausted but satisfied.
Have you ever had those moments in life when you just can't get anything to go right and then out of a mess is born something beautiful? And all you can do is sit back and say wow!
I had such a happening while working on a music set for worship @ Ephesus. The previously scheduled worship team didn't feel comfortable or ready, so they declined and I and a friend were asked to lead instead. And so I spent weeks trying to come up with the perfect "at Jesus feet" music set ... and it just wasn't happening. I became discouraged and took a break for two days and then finally Ruben called and "shed some light" with great ideas. The devotional topic was "Share Jesus."
And a set began:
Everlasting God
My Savior My God
You Are Worthy of My Praise
*Praise & Thanksgiving*
Medley:
Beautiful One
How Great is Our God
How Great Thou Art
*Time of Prayer*
Hosanna
Video - Share Jesus
Unashamed
New songs?! I'm up for the challenge and jump on it that night! Sounds like a wonderful set but for some reason I just wasn't satisfied and worried that it would be a horrible failure. I worried that I lacked the connection with God to even dream of leading people to Him. But as I sat and half worried-half prayed ... a song came to mind. Jesus, Lord of Heaven.
New set:
My Savior My God
Jesus Lord of Heaven
Hosanna
*Praise - Thanksgiving*
*Time of Prayer*
Medley:
Beautiful One
How Great is Our God
How Great Thou Art
Video - Share Jesus
Unashamed
And still I'm not satisfied ... but time is up. Thursday comes along and I'm in wawa when I get a call from Ruben asking about My Savior My God & Jesus Lord of Heaven. We talk and he brings up a cool idea ... why not from Unashamed go into a chorus of Nothing But the Blood. I head home and give everything a quick run through. I know its going to fail, I fear no one will sing ... and wow does my guitar playing stink! Oh why did I say yes ...
Friday dawns and I decide to run through the set after I finish the last slide. There is nothing else I can do ... and so I just worship God with song. And finally I'm okay with it ... if God loves it then that's all that matters.
Until 1 hour before we lead out at Ephesus ... and Ruben says, I didn't mean for any of what I said to be used today! And my confidence falls apart ...
And that's when God steps in and makes something beautiful out of a beautiful heartfelt mess. It was a beautiful set, we may have just sang songs to God but it was worship nonetheless. Through our misunderstood conversations ... God birthed an amazing worship set.
Here it is:
My Savior My God (Shust)
Jesus Lord of Heaven (Wickham)
Hosanna (Hillsong)
*Video - Share Jesus*
Unashamed (Starfield)
Nothing But The Blood (Redman) - Chorus only
*Prayer*
Even more amazing ... Share Jesus was not just share Jesus with your friends ... but share the story of His sacrifice and every last song tied into that! Definitely God leading!
Ok ... this is probably a mess in itself ... but I'm sure, without a doubt that God can make something beautiful out of this post ... :)
