I just had such an empowering run, and I’ll tell you why. First, backdrop to the story. I’ve really been struggling to find meaning, to glorify God’s name, and the such while I’ve been here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m having a blast, but in all that I’m doing, I feel no sense of glorifying one’s name. Now in no way do I think a time of rest where you enjoy God’s blessing is wrong, but a. I don’t feel like that’s what’s in store for me here and b. If the fun I’m having is not glorifying His name, than I’m missing the point. Anyway, within the last few day’s I’ve been extremely challenged to alter who I’ve been here, to be a light among the group, a joy to be around because that light that’s shining through me is none other than Jesus.
So today’s been a good day but a tough day. Woke up, had a seminar I presented, went to sleep, had another class, then decided to run. I ran through the reserve as I always do and as I’m running, with Coldplay blaring in my ears, I look over. Now, this story might sound a little cheesy, but I am positive that had it not been for a voice in my mind telling me to look to the right, I would have missed three zebras no more than 10 yards from me grazing. So I walked in as close as they’d let me, which wasn’t much closer, and crouched there looking at God’s beauty. Take a look at a picture of a Zebra, especially from the neck up, and tell me how in any way something so beautiful, so magnificent could exist apart from divine intervention. I continued running, again listening to Coldplay, and kept thinking about life...I generally overthink everything so that’s what I was doing. Coldplay’s “Strawberry Swing,” a magnificent song if there ever was one, and the bridge began playing, with Christ Martin’s glorious voice singing, “The sky could be blue, I don’t mind, without you it’s a waste of time,” and something hit me. Now I’m fully aware that without God, life’s a waste of time. Ask me question pertaining to that, and that’s my answer 101 out of 100 times. Yet, something about the song resonated within me. Nothing I do has any significance without the name of Jesus Christ next to it. So I continued running, praising His holy name to Coldplay’s killer songs. I believe that all music in some way is a form of worship, for it’s a creation of God using what he has gifted in a beautiful way. God’s good, and I know it. When I got back to my zebra friends, I again crouched and marveled at their greatness.
God’s good. I’m in South Africa, and contrary to what I expected, it takes just as much of an effort to sing praises with my life as it does in the city of Tualatin or Azusa, but as long as I take up my cross and follow, I’ll experience God’s overwhelming grace.