To Fulfill a promise that hubby made over 5 years ago…yes before we were married Hubby took me to an amazing concert this past weekend. The promise went something like this” If Steven Curtis Chapman ever comes close enough we will go to his concert.” Well Last November 11 he came close enough. However my hubby was an associate pastor at the time and the day before (the 10th) was his ordination. It was a Sunday night so we had youth group and well to say the least I was 39 weeks pregnant with the Vug and well really shouldn’t travel the two hours to see Mr Chapman. I was bummed but life went on. Then May of this year happened. At first I thought my opportunity had ended. I knew in my heart that I (if I were in his shoes ) would wonder if I could ever perform again. Which he openly admits to thinking. Amazingly he and his family has fought through the tough times and well to be completely honest has amazed everyone. Now being a pastor’s wife I asked myself this question “why did this amaze so many of us?” Don’t we serve a God that has conquered death itself. How amazing it is that we continually put God into a box and think that such miracles are beyond HIM! Just look at the gospels it is chock full of miracles, healings and so much more!. It was amazing to hear both Steven and Michael sing songs I have been listening to for more that 10 years now. Songs That accompanied me on My first trip to China 9 years ago. The biggest one that played such a whole part of my trip For the Sake of the Call! I say for my first trip because someday I long to go back to China to adopt a daughter. I have many friends that I think about to this day but one of the most amazing memories I have is of a small boy I met with autism. I know that there are thousands of children with autism in China that desperately need a home. I don’t know if we will adopt a child with autism or not but at one point I believed that I was going to teach in China. God has recently helped me to understand that my trip to China was to give me a heart for adoption of foreign children but not to live there and to teach! Another moving moment was when Michael sand Friends are friends forever. I knew of the song but how I learned of the song was strange to say the least. My brother (actually both of my brothers ) have served in the Armed Forces. The Youngest Army Guy we will call him served three six month terms in Iraq and Afghanistan. My middle brother still serves in the Air Force and has not seen an overseas term yet! Anyway Army Guy and I were talking one day and I mentioned that I really like Micheal W Smith. . He in return said I know one of his songs. I said Oh yeah which one and he said Friends. I was shocked and a bit dismayed. 1) because I had never heard of this song and 2) because Army Guy doesn’t live the life of a Believer So my next question was how do you know that song? He said In the Army when you have a memorial service for a soldier who has passed away you sing this song. Two weeks later my brother lost three friends who were serving in Iraq . They were in the same platoon and company as my little borther . On a sense they too were brothers. I posted about that week. It was a toiugh week for him. One of the toughest he has ever endured and constantly talked about re-enlisting. So as you can see it was an emotional night as we sang a patriotic song and Michael expressed his patriotism, I wondered if he knew exactly what that song had become to men in the armed services. But I must tell you that the evening held some very funny moments as well! Steven is a comedian in his own right! He said something to the effect of
“when you have a recording artist with ADD and he is up here trying to remember the words to songs and all of a sudden he sees someone with writing on their shirt or holding a sign we start trying to read them and that’s just not good when we are trying to remember our songs”
Well I chuckled to myself all night about that because it was one of the funniest things I had ever heard…Well hubby and I were laying in bed talking about the events of the evening and I chuckled and rolled over he wanted to know what was so funny so I reminded him of what was said….to which he replied..And knowing me do you think I have never done that? That really made me laugh because I have a couple of funny pictures running through my head. First of which is my husband standing in church on Sunday with violin in hand forgetting his music trying to read someones t-shirt(this has never happened)..and the other is a very cute cute picture hubby’s parents have of hubby at 4 years old after his violin part of the recital is over and he lays down on the stage and goes to sleep! (for those of you who read this who don’t know my husband personally he is amazing at both the violin and trumpet and has a major case of ADD! That’s why he has been able to accomplish all that he has in such a relatively short amount of time) So all that being said after an insanely stressful 6 months of traveling all over the east in search of the elusive pastorate hubby and I had a fantastic time at this concert featuring two of my favorite Christian music artists…I think I have corrupted I mean converted HUBBY!!! We both came away truly blessed in so many ways and we wished we could let both artists know just how uplifting and refreshing this concert was for both hubby and I!
