Day 330 - May 12 - 100K!
If you haven't checked out the ClustrMap on the front page of the site lately, you've missed a pretty cool bit of trivia. Sometime yesterday, the map recorded the 100,000th visitor to ConnorWatch since Brad brought the map to the site in July 2008. 100,000 in 10 months! That's pretty impressive no matter how you slice it, but that information particularly warms my heart in that it represents so very, very many people interested in, and praying for, our son and brother. Wow. I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty cool that God has brought so many people to Connor's journey from around the globe. Yes, that number represents multiple visits for most of us, but still. Pretty cool.
Today, Connor and his friend Josh took the van and headed south to Gilroy, where they picked up Lexi and headed over to the outlet mall. They spent the afternoon running around at the shops and had a great time away from Mom and Dad. We were really pleased to see them have such a good time in such a fashion.
A strange thing happened to me yesterday on the way home from work. I was listening to music as I drove, and my normal practice lately has been to repeatedly press "Next" on the iPod until the right "Christian" music comes on for whatever mood I happen to be in. I've found myself skipping past The Beatles or Bonnie Raitt or The Grateful Dead or The Eurythmics as I search for the right song. So yesterday I started to do this, but stayed my hand and just let the music cycle through instead. And this is where the weird thing happened. As the different songs played, I started listening to a song called "Double Whammy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lonnie Mack. Just a jammin' instrumental blues riff - no lyrics, no particular significance; just a fun song. And as it played, I found myself in this state of worship, praising God along with this music. "Wait a minute," says I. "This isn't Christian music! How can you worship to this?" but I found myself just worshipping and praising the God who could place such talent and musical gifts in the heart of men and women, and then allow them to do whatever those men and women desired, be it glorifying or not. Now I don't know the spiritual state of either of those men, but their music took me to a higher level of worship than I usually inhabit - one where I could see and realize that God uses ALL things to bring glory to Himself, even when that wasn't the intended purpose.
All in all, a pretty cool thing. It really opened my eyes to many things I couldn't, or didn't, see. And I can recognize that (even though I don't like it) God has been using this last eleven months to change me in ways I didn't expect.
How has He been working in you?
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posted by Eric Williamson @ 10:26 PM
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4 Comments:
You and your family are amazing, Eric. You all have been such an encouragement to me. There are times I get tired on "my journey" that God is having me travel, and I read something you write, and it helps me move on. I love how God can reveal Himself to us in ways we could never imagine.
I am really happy that Connor was able to enjoy the night with his friends. That is such great news! We pray for him daily!
Oh, and I am sure you are all excited that Joelle will be home tomorrow! :) That should make for even a great week, huh?
Eric the same thing happened to me recently with the Steve Morse version of Rush's La Villa Stangiato. I dunno, I think many virtuoso musicians are gifted, whether they get it spiritually or not doesn't mean that they don't have a gift. And for some reason those moments happen more with instrumental music than lyrical tunes...... at least for me the non-musician drummer
Sometimes I feel as if I don't "worship" God enough or in the right way, but then I remember the music I listen to. For instance, as I read and type I'm listening to a Live version of Breathe by Michael W. Smith, LOVE the song. Singing about the air I breathe, is HIM. I find beauty and "worship" in all things, especially song and nature (for instance, George's cool pix of landscapes are simply beauty and I always thank Him for His wonder). I thank you for showing that we can listen to "non-Christian" music and still see His hand. Just like we can see Connor and his accident, as His hand.
Bless you and all that you are!
As always,
Michawn
Hmmm, good things to ponder about, I really do like it how God uses whatever He wants, it could be a person or some music to keep us growing and developing a stronger relationship with Him. He knew at that exact moment that you would be thinking those thoughts and sitting in your car praising Him, wow what an amazing God He is!! I hope you all are enjoying a good night and can rest in God's love and His grace for every moment you go through. May He give you good sleep and a desire to glorify Him in the morning! God keep you!
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