It's been such a busy week I'm just now sitting down to tell you about my wonderful Monday night. My dear sister-in-law M and I drove two hours to see Casting Crowns and Nicole Nordeman in concert. Yes, it was M, me, and five thousand screaming teenagers. But it was an amazing evening.
The night started with Nicole Nordeman's performance. Her voice is so lovely, and her lyrics so profound, that I found myself holding my breath at times. She writes things such as:
But what if you're wrong? What if there's more?
What if there's hope you've never dreamed of hoping for?
What if You jump? Just close your eyes.
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by suprise?
What if He's more than enough?
What if it's love?
And
And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
What was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green
So it is with You
And how You make me new
With every season's change
And so it will be
As You are re-creating me
Summer, autumn, winter...spring
Amazing stuff.
Then out came Casting Crowns (and the screams of all the teenagers) and I'm telling you, it was a hand-raisin', loud-singin', chest-thumpin' all-out worship service. They, too, are a profound group of artists whose lyrics all really capture the struggle many people face in their own churches. Such as
Does anybody hear her?
Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her?
Can anybody see?
And here is something fun--remember in the olden days how people used to flick their Bics at concerts and wave them in the air? Well, these days they open up their cell phones and wave the glowing screen in the air. (Seeing as how I haven't been to a concert since cell phones were INVENTED, I had no way of knowing this. My much cooler sister-in-law tells me this is common knowledge, but I thought I'd tell you in case you're as endlessly uncool as I am).
Best of all was the time spent with M. Lots of laughing, crying and girl-talking! Sometimes I forget she's not my biological sister. Wish you all could meet her--she has quite a story to tell of God's faithfulness.
In my favorite Nicole Nordeman song, Nicole celebrates God's faithfulness through all the stages of our lives. She beautifully refers to Him as her "Pasture Maker". I needed that image as I wrap up a busy week in which I spent all too little time resting in Him. Here's hoping for some good "pasture time" for you and for me this weekend. Happy Friday, friends!
