Just Ducky

It's been an eventful week for My hubby and I - culmunating yesterday
with going to a concert.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with Steven Curtis Chapman -
he has been a Christian singer/songwriter since the late 80's.  If you
have not gotten into Christian music, pick any one of his CD's and you
won't be sorry.

Anyway, My husband's sisters went to high school with Steven - so he saw him
perform as a teen.  The last time I saw him perform was 20 years ago -
it was a great concert, a big venue, very encouraging.  He was a young
performer, I was a young Christian, etc.

Well, flash forward to last night.  I'm 20 years older, with a lot of
experience under my belt - a lot of life has gone by.  I couldn't even
begin to tell you all that has happened. I thought about it last
night, though.  I was running through the hard times that the Lord has
brought me through - the really tough times I thought I wasn't going
to make it.  And I was glorifying God for my husband - I feel doubly
blessed after all that has happened.

But looking at me - well, I used to sing on the praise team, and
people are ALWAYS shocked when they hear my testimony.  For some
reason, when you are up on stage, or ministering, people think you
have it all together.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

It's a big reason my husband and I do this ministry - because we have walked in some
version of what you are going through - we know the road.  We may not
have gotten on it the same way, we may have different outcomes, but we
are all on this journey.

That's what I was thinking about last night.  Steven Curtis Chapman is
the most awarded musician in the Christian music industry.  He was so
down to earth - I could see a different Steven than the one I saw 20
years ago.  Since then, he has watched his children grow, has watched
them marry, has adopted three girls...and tragically, 6 years ago,
lost one of those adopted girls in a terrible accident where his 17
year old son ran over her when she dashed behind the car.  Tragedy
beyond measure.

If I hadn't told you that story, if you didn't know it, you would be
shocked to hear it. He performs, he is full of joy, he continues on.

But here's the deal - all of us, each and every one of us, has our
journey.  We are all on this road called life, and we all have our
stories.  No one has arrived - no one WILL arrive until we either die
or Jesus returns.  Then and only then will we be finally free of
sickness, pain, separation, hurt, sorrow, depression.

EVERYONE has a story.  Everyone is either about to go through
something, is going through something, or is coming through something.

I remember when the Chapman's lost Maria - and I prayed for them.  I
still do.  We need to pray for each other.  We need to be real.  We
need to talk to each other - to remind each other that this is not our
home, that we are human, that we mess up, that we are hurting.

God loves you so much and He is here for you during this time.  Don't
kick yourself because you wish things were done differently.  Don't
dwell on it.  Square your shoulders, start the day fresh, and step
into the new day.  We all fall down.

Here's a song that I thought of last night - if you look it up on
YouTube, look up the Bob Carlisle version, which has these lyrics.
It's a great song.  Check it out. I have the YouTube link:
Bob Carlisle - We Fall Down  , and here are the lyrics:


We Fall Down
Written by Kyle Matthews

Cursing every step of the way,
he bore a heavy load
To the market ten miles away,
The journey took it's toll

And every day he passed a
monastery's high cathedral walls
And it made his live seem
meaningless and small

And he wondered how it would be
to live in such a place
To be warm, well fed and at peace
to shut the world away

So when he saw a priest who walked,
for once, beyond the iron gate
He said, "Tell me of your life inside
that place ..."
And the priest replied...

We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
And the saints are just the sinners
who fall down ... and get up

Disappointment followed him home
He'd hoped for so much more
But he saw himself in a light
He had never seen before

Cause' if the priest who fell
could find the Grace of God to be enough
Then there must be some hope for
the rest of us
There must be some hope left for us ...