The Best Concert Ending

I had the opportunity this weekend to see my favorite performer, well, perform!  I don't think I've ever had quite the giddy feeling that I did this past Friday.  It was both interesting and a bit scary at the same time.  

... About a year and a half ago, we were attending the early service at our church which is family geared and includes contemporary / pop / non-hymnal music during the service.  Well we sang a song that just sat on my heart and didn't leave - and hasn't left yet.  I can honestly say that I probably only have about 6 (maybe less) favorite songs accumulated over my lifetime or at least since the age of 13 or so when I actually started to have favorite songs.  They run the gambit from the Moody Blues, to CAKE, to the Mighty Mighty Bostones, to the Ocean Blue, to Aaron Shust.  As you might have guessed at this point the performer that we saw and the song that I really liked that morning in church was by Aaron Shust - it was My Saviour My God.  Of course he sang that and sang a few new songs and a few songs that I didn't realize were his and am quite happy now that they are his and did some wonderful performing as well.  The weird thing was that as I watched him perform on stage I had a kind of surreal experience where I was surprised that I was surprised that he was only about 20 feet away and singing right there.  One of those moments that you try so hard to remember in your mind so that you can always recall it.  The concert was a tour with Selah and Shaun Groves both of which were also great performers, but let's be honest, I was there to see Aaron (we are on a first name basis).

After the performance, we saw some friends from church as we were leaving.  One of which was in line to get autographs.  My heart skipped a beat and I got in line too thinking maybe I could get Aaron to sign my shirt (an Aaron Shust shirt that I bought with my lunch money before the concert) - yes lunch money apparently I'm in high school again.  The first group out wasn't Aaron and I got their autographs on a ticket stub and found them to be very genuine sweet people.  Then I stood against a wall to wait for Aaron to come out for signing while my husband took our kids to the car.  As I waited, I had a feeling wash over me (God speaking to my heart).  I thought about at the end of each song how Aaron would point to heaven - to God - giving the glory to Him.  As I stood by the wall t-shirt clutched in my hand I had the realization that getting the autograph was really just idolizing something / someone other than God and so counter to what Aaron as a performer / man of God displayed.  I was humbled.  And so I quietly folded my shirt, zipped up my jacket and quickly left to meet kids and husband in our car.  To go home to the blessings that He's provided me and to get the autograph of God on my heart as He blesses  our lives.

Returning to Normal

Ahhh the joy of cleaning on my schedule.  I have managed to keep up - in relative terms - with the house since we took it off the market.  The difference being that I cleaned or organized or rearranged ... when I wanted to not because I had to.  Such a nice treat.  I have learned the joy of keeping house.  And I appreciate that I can set my pace to complete.  I don't have to get done by a certain time.  If I don't complete a task, then I can finish it tomorrow - rather than half-youknowwhatting it.  

And the house is no longer magazine perfect, I speak as if it was during showings, but it is once again a home that we live in.

• The toys are once again out to be played with as they should be.
• The kitchen counter once again catches mail until I get to go through it over the weekend.
• The bathrooms are cleaned weekly rather then every-other-daily.
• The floors are kept clear so that dust bunnies can run freely over the smooth laminate wood.
• And the cross stitch has returned to the family room table, to be completed at my leisure.
• The plane plans and building are once again under way ...

We once again have - our time - to do - our stuff that we want to do - that helps us relax - that brings us joy.  A found blessing that's always been there but had been set aside for a time ... what a treasure.