Isn’t life made up of a million little moments? A million every day graces? Moment after moment after moment… all strung together like precious pearls… or maybe paper beads?
Some moments are tiny, fleeting. Others bigger, noticeable, lingering. But some are so monumental they are permanently fixed upon our hearts… memories we return to time and time again.
I’ve had many of those. I know you have too. I had another one last night.
Hillsong United at the Alive Festival
We bought the tickets knowing that we were taking a risk — an outdoor concert in one of the wettest years Ohio has ever seen. But these aren’t just concerts and we are not just spectators. We are worshipers of the One True God, and we go to meet with Him there. And over familiar songs, familiar words, He speaks into our hearts, and we are caught up in His grace.
So we pressed purchase. Expectations high. Anticipation building.
The day came and the excitement was palpable. The band said it was their first time to be in Ohio, and it was a warm, muggy night. The first day of summer. The longest day of the year. The grassy lawn gently rolled toward the stage. The word “Aftermath” flashed on the side screens. We set up lawn chairs, picnic blankets. Brought bubbles for the kids to play with in the waiting. Drank lukewarm water to stay hydrated while the sun blazed down on us. We waited…
When the first beat rang, the sun had not quite set. The band led out with “Go” and we sang “We’ve come alive in you, Set free to show the truth, Our lives will never be the same.” A reality, indeed.
The set continued… powerful, worshipful, fun! Then one of the lead worshipers spoke up — the Gospel message — and he called on us to be present in that moment, not dwelling on what happened earlier in the day or what may happen over the course of the next few days because God had something for us in that very moment. And they began to lead us in singing “Aftermath”. And God did have something for us in that moment.
We sang Aftermath, and as we sang, the night sky began to darken even further. Ominous clouds began to move in. The sky looked threatening. And we kept singing:
The skies lay low where You are
On the earth You rest Your feet
Yet the hands that cradle the stars
Are the hands that bled for me
The weather was quickly changing, and His power and presence was surely felt. The storm was very near. Yet we kept singing:
And in that moment You opened up the heavens
To the broken, the beggar, and the thief
Lifted out of the wreckage
I found hope in the aftermath
And the clouds got even darker… the temperature fell quickly… and the wind began to swirl around us. And we sang on:
And I know that You’re with me
Yes I know that You’re with me here
And I know that Your love will light the way
And the dark sky began to brighten with bursts of lightening… the wind whipped strong in the trees… and the night air grew cool. And we kept singing:
Yes I know that You’re with me here
And the cool wind felt like His breath… and the knowledge of His presence was felt by our hearts and by our skin. And in the storm, we felt His strength.
The song ended, and the storm rolled in strong, fierce, brilliant. We sought cover, hundreds of us huddled in the tent called Prayer. Some sang. Some talked. Most wondered. Everyone waited on Him. The rain pelted the tent, the bright lightening lit up the night sky, and the thunder rolled louder than any bass drum on stage. My two children huddled under a blanket their little hands covering their ears… the littlest one eventually climbed up into Daddy’s arms.
And we waited on Him.
And when the storm had passed, we emerged uncertain. There was movement on the stage. Was it possible to go on? We waited. We watched. Then the screens began to lift and the lights began to come back on, but not all of them. The band came back out, and we kept singing:
I’m not shaken
I’m not letting go
And everything comes alive
In my life as we lift You higher
Let Your freedom arise
In our lives as we lift You up
And everyone came alive! It was as if the wind of His presence had breathed life into our praise that evening. Those who stayed continued to worship long into the night, humbled by the magnificence of His presence, thankful for the grace that we had been caught up in.
We made the long drive back, arriving home in the wee hours of the morning. The little ones made their way to bed. When the sun rose this morning, they did too. I asked them what they thought of their first Hillsong United concert, and littlest one answered. She said nothing about the band or the storm or even the bubbles she’d had so much fun with. She simply said “I saw that God is really powerful!” Yes, baby girl, He is!
