everybody wants to go to heaven...but nobody wants to die...

I had a fun experience this morning. I had the opportunity to be a part of a monumental moment in an old friend's life. It was a testimony to the redemptive grace of Jesus.

I have a friend from college who I used to travel and sing with all the time. We were in worship teams, college trios and quartets, and then eventually sang professionally in a trio for awhile. College opened up a whole new musical world for us; the world of Southern Gospel music. My parents were never into it much, and my friend, Scott, was trained in classical music and piano. But going to small southern Ohio Bible college meant learning the southern Ohio musical language. I have to admit that while I have never been a huge fan of Southern Gospel, I really enjoyed singing it. We were by no means "country" in style, but did have a lot of fun and met a lot of great people, including other professional gospel groups. We even spent a weekend at the National Quartet Convention one year.

Anyway, I digress...

My friend, Scott, and I have had some rough times in our lives since then. Both of us at times have really strayed from God's purpose for our lives. Our friendship suffered quite a bit as well. Recently, however, the Lord put him back in my path, and we discovered that we have both been on a pretty amazing journey, as God has led us back around to what we were created to be: completely His. It has been great catching up on old times and new chapters, and reliving the hysterical moments we have shared over the years. Scott emailed me about a week ago and told me to call him, and to be sitting down when I did, because he had something to tell me. When I called, he informed me that he had auditioned for a gospel quartet and had been asked to join them on the road! It was so overwhelming to see how God was blessing! Even after all the years he thought he had wasted, God was restoring his dreams and leading Him back into the ministry he loved. I could totally relate to that!

So this morning, I was able to go to a concert in a church local to my parents and hear Scott sing with his new buddies, The Suwannee River Boys. The five of them had fun on the platform and enjoyed each other like they had known one another for years. It was surreal almost to see my friend, someone I had been separated from for several years, standing on the platform with a group of professionals, living a dream he has had in his heart since I had known him. It was so moving.

So, now you're wondering, what in the world does her TITLE mean? How does that relate at all with what she is sharing? Well, I'll tell you. It's 2-fold. First, it's a sound byte from David Crowder's new album; an old spiritual or southern gospel song he samples at the beginning of the first song. (It's also the title of his new book!) It sounds funny, but it's pretty profound. It is the profound that truly relates to what I am sharing.

Scott and I spent a lot of time in our lives pursuing our own dreams in our own power, doing things our own way. We pursued ministry, so it all sounded like a great plan. But in our feeble hands, it crumbled. We want the bright lights and the big time ("heaven") but we weren't willing to "die" to ourselves and do it God's way. Everybody wants God's blessing, His best for our lives. But we fail to see that if we are to truly achieve what is BEST we have to give up our idea of what that BEST is. And it's not that the desires of our heart are always wrong, or that God ignores what we want in order to have His way. He gives us our desires and dreams. But we can only see a part of the picture, a tiny spec of the grand scheme of things. His dreams for us are actually so much bigger than we could ever imagine. The key is placing Him BEFORE the dream on the priority list. It's only then that we can fulfill His purpose and truly succeed. Our dreams are safer in God's hands than in our own. Sounds like a simple concept, but it's so tough to learn!

I had to praise God when I watched Scott get on that big customized bus this afternoon and head out to the next service on the schedule for tonight. It was good for my soul to see another miracle orchestrated in the life of one of His children.

Thank you, Abba.