Wherever We Were

I wasn’t looking forward to this weekend. Nothing really exciting was planned. Things that were planned were not things I was looking forward to. It just wasn’t going to be a good weekend - much like the past week. I was just glad to get the week behind me. Sunday I was really down in the dumps. I have never hoped to be sick so I wouldn’t have to do praise team - but this Sunday I was very disappointed to wake up healthy. I can’t really explain it other than to say it wasn’t the type of worship service I would have planned. I don’t like pre-recorded music and this one was full of it. Just not my thing. We got through the service just fine. It really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Immediately after church someone in my church (Ron) grabbed my arm and this happened:

Ron - You like Third Day, right?
Jean - Yyyyyyyyyes?
Ron - Well I have these 6 tickets to tonight’s concert in Ames. Would you be able to use them?
Jean - blinking rapidly, mouth hanging open
Ron - If you can use them you are welcome to them. We just want you to enjoy them.
Jean - jumping up and down, screaming

I immediately started running around finding people who could go. I asked our good friends, Gerrit and Michelle, if they would like to go. They were thrilled. After making a few phone calls I found another couple for the other two seats. At 3:30 we made our way to Ames. After a stop at Panera Bread for some good eatin’ (if you haven’t tried a Panera Bread, you really must do so in the near future). Then off to Stephen’s Auditorium. The 6 tickets were for nosebleeds. Balcony 3. When you look down from Balcony 3 you are basically looking straight down at the stage. Not what one would probably call "good" seats. But we didn’t care so much - they were free. Michelle got a little woozy. One of the ushers noticed and offered her two seats on the floor. On. The. Floor. Gerrit was so gracious and kind and offered me his floor ticket. Wow. I RAN to find her. Seats right in the middle of the floor, right behind the sound board. They put the sound board there for a reason - its the best spot in the house. Unless you were in the first few rows, there weren’t any better seats in the auditorium. We had a blast!!!! Wow. Words cannot express. I act like a silly teenager at Christian rock concerts. Brian is probably slightly relieved that I wasn’t sitting by him :) However, when you sit on the floor at a concert, you had better be prepared to act like a silly teenager. Its contagious. There were all kinds of middle-aged people around us who were jumping up and down and dancing as much as we were. It was truly incredible.

David Crowder Band opened for Third Day. He was very good. Really got the crowd warmed up. Then Third Day. They played almost every single song that I love. I sat for ONE song. The rest of the time I was standing, clapping, singing, dancing, jumping, etc. It truly was an incredible night of worship. Some of the favorites were Blessed Assurance, Nothing But the Blood, Cry to Jesus, Tunnel. Just really good stuff.

It was one of those things - we had all been going through some hard times lately. Some frustrations. Some burdens. Some trials. And none of us were going to go because we didn’t want to spend the $$ on it. Apparently, it was important to God that we go - and now we know why. It was so uplifting. It wasn’t that we went and all of burdens and cares just went away. But we felt so comforted and uplifted. Strengthened and energized. God works in the most mysterious and wonderful ways. It was worth every dime!! ;) God rocks!