The Spirit’s Anointing
Current mood: inspired

I just got back from a concert in Kittanning Pennsylvania, a little town nestled in the Appalachian hills.  The concert was interesting.  I read an exerpt from Max Lucado's book called In the Eye of the Storm and the chapter was titled, The Choice.  This is a scenario in which he poses the question Why would God give man The Choice?  This choice was granted before life was breathed into Adam.  Why did He give it, this gift?  He gave it because choosing to obey, to live according to His plan for us, is key to love.  Forcing us to obey would have removed love from the relationship.

This really made me think about what it means to be in relationship with God.  Since the essence of God is holy love, His greatest desire was that we love him by choice.  Amazing!  The songs I sang began with a mournful song called Forgive Me written by Gloria, Bill & Benji Gaither.  Don't get me wrong, mournful is surely the right tone for repentance.  The Spirit was upon me from the first note.  Few people want to "go there" with a sad song.  But when I sing this, I am reminded of my own sin and my sadness because I had been unfaithful. 

The tone was appropriate for the moment.  I saw people wiping tears away, but mostly there was an immediate sense that their attention had been grabbed unexpectedly and it was clear that I wasn't there to entertain them.  I sang Casting Crown's. East to West  What a beautiful song!  How perfectly the song describes the awe of forgiveness, while recognizing the stench of sin in our lives. 

I had some cool comments like "Does Bill Gaither know about her?" to "She should be on American Idol" and "She sounds like Patsy Cline," and one called my singing "a gift..a true gift," but the best compliment I received was from Pastor Sawyer.  He told me he could tell I had prayed over my music and that the Spirit's anointing was on me and the music. I have to agree.  Not as a point that I could ever brag about it, but I did indeed pray all the way from the moment I chose the songs, their order, to the moments in the pulpit when I sang and prayed at the same time that the lyrics would be relevant to someone that day, even afterward that they could remember something from the songs that might help them throughout the week.  I believe that prayer was answered.

Why is all this significant enough that I would post a blog when I have only posted 2 others?  Because I never want to trivialize the gift God has given me to bring relevant music to all ages.  Because I never want to take this gift for granted.  Because I always want to remember that I am a forgiven person which means I have SINNED!  I cannot walk around with my nose in the air because I have been the worst of sinners.  I have NO reason for pride because it is only by God's grace I am what I am. I own nothing.  I am nothing.  I can change nothing.  It is only God who owns everything.  It is only God who makes me "somebody."  He is the great life-changer, and the lover of our souls.  

I am humbled by these facts.  Humbled that our Great God has used me as an instrument, and ambassador for His kingdom!  Who am I?  I don't know that I can answer that question.  Why does he know my name?  Why does he love me in spite of myself?  I don't know.