Monday, October 26, 2009

*Alter'd Mind*

Friday night was amazing!! My friend Joe had invited me out to his church for a Lecrae concert, he had told me about it 2 months ago and I was stoked. When Friday came I was pumped for some amazing music - LeCrae, Tedashii, After Edmund and Mikeschair. By the end of the night I had gotten so much more than a concert! It was a concert saturated in Jesus and the core of my being just soaked it up. That was the first Christian concert I had ever been to and it just rocked me. The name of the tour is called Alter Your Mind and it’s 2 hip hop/rap artists and 2 rock bands - and their purpose is to demonstrate that it doesn’t matter what kind of music you like but to bring people together for God and His Kingdom. Each group shared bits and pieces of their heart but LeCrae and Tedashii really hit it home for me.
They just made sure that the glory was going to God - and LeCrae even took the time to slow down his rhymes and asked the audience to do a heart check and make sure that we weren’t just repeating words that didn’t have meaning behind them. Between most every song scripture was read and referenced. We were challenged to really seek out where we find our identity - in Christ or in the things of this world. Reminded that in Christ we are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!) and that our life styles should show that we have changed and that there’s something different about believers. The illustrations were so powerful. Reminders that feelings and instincts will often lead you to death - just as they do animals. My heart was rocked, broken down and soo very moved.
At one point LeCrae was talking about feeling overlooked during his youth and challenging us to take the time to invest in people who will often get overlooked. And maybe it was my pride, or maybe it was an affirmation, but I smiled on the inside and thought I have 6:) Then I started to think, wow, I do - I have 6 (soon to be 7) young boys that I have the opportunity to invest in. To share with, to help grow, to show Christ like love to and to minister to. And that’s how I want to look at it . I want to see it as an opportunity to share with them not a burden to raise them. I mean I know that some days it really is a burden and when they are throwing things at me, and trying to hurt each other it is hard to show them that unconditional kind of love….but isn’t that what God does for us? No matter how many times we spit in his face, turn our backs, mock him, and disobey - He’s still there, with loving arms to forgive us and welcome us back home. Besides, the kids in my house have pretty much lost their guardians, if I can’t/don’t show them love then who will? This job was sooooooo obviously chosen by God for me to have that I cannot sit back and expect someone else to show them love and kindness. It’s a cold and dark world - and for some reason my home is the place that God would like me to begin to show warmth and light. And I KNOW that a task like this cannot be done on my own strength at all, not even a little bit!!
Then a little later it was weird, LeCrae was talking about the ministry organization Reach Life, that he supports, and how they go to the inner city and places where people don’t usually go. He was saying that he knows not everyone is called to go out and do this type of ministry. And I swear to you that I nearly had to cover my mouth cuz I was about to just blurt out “I am”. I don’t mean like the words were said and then I pondered for a moment and then the words were going to come out of my mouth. NO! I mean like the words weren’t even out of LeCrae’s mouth yet and the “I am” phrase was already in my mouth. I just kind of smiled, and was like - okay God - when? And I just got this sense of - you will, just not now. So who knows when “you will” will have it’s time.
But PRIASE GOD for an amazing night, friends, convictions, and solid truth!!!

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