Sunday, June 28, 2009

Chinese Writings


For the past couple years of my life I go to a student conference called Desperation at my home church.

Now these conferences that they hold are simply some of the best.
With bands like Leeland, Hillsong, Kari Jobe, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Starfield, David Crowder, and Desperation Band making their appearance through out the conference, it makes it a blast. Now thousands of kids show up to these and it is easy to lose your focus with all the hype that is going on around you. Of course the music is amazing, the teachings are powerful, and the atmosphere is more than you could possibly ask for. Once again it is so easy to lose sight of what the real goal is.

This year it struck me hard when I discovered a small something that God revealed to me.

In prior years at Desperation I got mixed up and lost in the hype that took place. It is a great time and God can almost be seen just as this big production that is taking place. Your friends are jumping to the music, you're staying out late, meeting the bands, the list goes on...but it so easy to miss the point.

Take a look at the logo of Desperation.

I have seen this logo for years upon years. Not only is this the logo for the conference that is held once a year but it is the logo for the youth band that played for me every Wednesday night for four years. So I have been extremely familiar with this Chinese looking thing.

Every time I'd see it I'd think to myself or even discuss with my other friends,
"It is just a couple of swoops that make people think of Desperation, like the Nike logo, it doesn't really make sense..it is just there and looks cool."

That is what Desperation was to me. I did get taught and learn so much through the prior years, but overall it was a bunch of flashing lights that caught my attention. It was just a good time, a performance that showed me what a sweet church looked like.

The last session of Desperation was on this past Saturday night. Once again the message was moving, the worship had been flawless, and I sat in my seat during the sermon and looked at all the lights, screens, and mass amount of people that were around me. I looked up at the logo the was placed over the stage and began to sketch it on my notes. As I look closely at the details and I was still thinking that the logo was just a couple of slashes. I finished it...and God's still voice said to me, "this is what I am trying to teach you ever day." BOOM!!! I saw it. The logo instantly became alive to me.

No longer was it just a few swipes, but a man...on his knees...with his arms open to heaven...

That was the teaching of every Desperation song, sermon, and break out time had been focusing on, yet I had been so distracted by every thing else I had missed the main point. Get on your knees to God, open your arms to him, throw all your strength you think you have aside and become dependent on God. More of You and less of me. It just shocks me that I've been staring at this for five or six years and not once did I see what it was.

God sometimes has stuff right in front of you in your life and we can be looking at it for the longest time and not til years later realize the significance. If anything I learned that God does have multiple situations in my life right now that I might be trying to figure out, ignoring, or simply looking past, but God has these and He is going to use them sooner or later.

I can't help to be just in total awe of God now.

There is a peace in my heart because I know that I have overlooked or overlooking so much right now, yet God is going to use EVERYTHING in my life. There is nothing that is insignificant that is happening in my or your life. There is nothing insignificant that God recorded in the Bible. God's view is so much greater than ours. We exchange our attention for a few small lights and good times for what? For God's view, His will, and His purpose.

This makes me want to look so much deeper now...to realize God has much more than I can see.

Now looking at this logo I am reminded there is not one day I shouldn't get on my knees, open my arms, and cry out to God. Just that position can express so much more than I could say.

I just love that this is no longer a Chinese logo..

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