Lifted High

"Music is the medicine of the breaking heart."--- Leigh Hunt

I attended the “How Great is Our God” tour last Sunday at the San Jose State Event Center. The featured headliners were Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and speaker, Louie Giglio. For those who are not familiar with these names, they are among the top Christian artists of today.

I know so many people who roll their eyes when I tell them that I listen to Christian music, but I could care less. Many people make the wrong assumptions and think that it’s a bunch of old school organ music. On the contrary, people! This genre has its own continuum of easy listening ballads to contemporary pop to alternative rock. Sure you got the hymns of old, but there are definitely a new set of tunes for the younger set that truly make you passionate about what you believe…and I’m talking about the Big Man upstairs, God Himself.

Now before you think that I’m getting too Christian on you, let me first say this- I am not perfect, nor do I claim to be. It’s interesting how I have met people who have this “holier than thou” attitude and who believe they are superior because they believe in God. It’s almost as if they know this awesome secret and consider themselves to be “the elite” who know, and instead of sharing this secret with others, keep it to themselves, snub others who don’t know and look down on those who they think should know. Does that make sense?

But at the concert, one fact was made poignantly clear- we are not Christians because we are perfect; rather, we are Christians because we are IMPERFECT and in need of God’s love and salvation. Despite whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, none of us are immune from God’s love, comfort, mercy, and forgiveness….all we have to do is let Him come.

Now if you know anything about what I’ve been going through, especially with the past year, then you would understand just how much my soul needed to be fed. Some of you know that I’ve wanted to attend a Christian concert for a while now and I was totally psyched when I bought these tickets. Christian concerts are not as common here in the Bay Area as they are in other places such as Minnesota….and honestly, that is one of the major things I do miss about the Midwest….it’s so God-friendly over there. Here, it’s either or- you’re damned if you do believe; you’re damned if you don’t believe. I choose to believe.

The past few months have been hard, especially with all the major holidays that have come and gone. I have been standing at a crossroads of my life for so long…and now, I am finding my way down the road that I have chosen…the “road not taken,” if you will. The journey has not been without friends and family, but the path itself is still lonely and unforgiving. I’ve experienced the whole feeling-alone-in-a-crowded-room thing and let me tell you, it sucks. And while praying does bring me a comfort that I cannot find anywhere else, there are times when I find myself without energy to do so because of one reason or another…all of which are sounding like lame excuses right now.

The concert did wonders for me and my soul. It was exactly what I needed. First of all, it simply blew my mind to be in a huge venue full of people who, literally, wanted to rock out in God’s name. People were jumping around, boppin’ their heads, singing along (they had the lyrics projected on a huge screen)…and when the music slowed down a bit, people had their eyes closed, hands raised, outstretched, and I tell you, it’s such a powerful sight. You can’t help but hear the music and let the lyrics touch your soul. The feeling I get is as if God is hugging me and telling me that everything will be better. That, in itself, is a pretty awesome feeling…so awesome that it brings you to tears. Yes, all that through a song. And yes, just how it is when a friend comforts you with a hug, it makes the burden you carry that much lighter.

I attended the concert with a friend from work and DogLover along with her hubby. It was refreshing to bond with them, not in that co-workerish, BFF-ish kind of way, but in the spiritual sense. It’s been hard to let my guard down and be real about my emotions about life these days and being able to share was, again, good for me. Good company, good friends, good conversation, good music...s'all good.

This was definitely one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to!

DogLover and MnM


Mr. & Mrs. DogLover


MnM and Mr. Kam