I was reminded yesterday of being at a concert when I was probably in my late teens, early twenties. A group of us had gone to Lake Ann to see the Cathedral Quartet. It seems funny now to think that a group of young people would go to see a quartet with mostly an 'older' audience, but those of us that went loved music, loved to sing, and loved harmony. Therefore, we loved The Cathedrals.
The small young group of us went and never thought to take lawn chairs, or even a blanket to sit on. We just plopped down on the side of a hill and and enjoyed the awesome harmony, deep bass and 'through the roof ' tenor. It was awesome.
However, unlike a contemporary concert or rock concert, we sat. We weren't standing for most of it like you would at a Toby Mac concert. We sat.
But Then........................
I can't recall the exact song, but they belted out the notes, and the tenor hit the high note, and the bass hit the low note and we all got blessed! I mean, knock your socks off BLESSED! We stood to our feet, as fast as they hit that one special note and everyone was clapping and cheering for Jesus!
HOWEVER...............................
My feet and legs had fallen asleep. I mean 'it's the middle of the night, you've taken sleeping pills and you're in your best REM sleep,' sleep! They were gone! I was beyond hope! Here we are at the top of the hill, and all I could see was these two little elderly ladies who had been sitting in their lawn chairs at the bottom of the hill who were now also standing to their feet cheering on the Cathedrals and praising Jesus! And I had Absolutely No Control of the lower half of my body!
As we all had SHOT to our feet, I started running uncontrollably down the hill to the little white headed ladies. I couldn't help it!! While the rest of my group probably thought I had gone pentecostal right then and there, I knew that I was going to run straight into the ladies and we would all end up in a heap in the dirt in front of the Cathedral Quartet.
I knew I had to do something to stop myself, but with no one there to understand my problem and come to my rescue, and as immediate of an action that I needed, I had no choice but to just SIT.
Have you ever tried to sit without the use of your legs while running down a hill like crazy crippled blessed person??? It's nearly impossible!! Impossible I tell you!!!
The grey heads were coming quicker, and I was panicking, so I just used mind over matter and made myself land on my butt! BOOM! It hurt! But at least I didn't crash into anyone!
I'm pretty sure I damaged my tailbone that day, that my friends thought I had lost my mind, and that a few elderly people thought I had just right then found Jesus for the first time ever!!! But the truth is, I had just fallen asleep.
Luckily the ladies down yonder never knew what almost hit them!
But as I was thinking about this story, I thought, 'Isn't that the way we are?' Sometimes we fall asleep in our faith. We forget to move. We forget to exercise our rights as a Christian. When we are stagnant and forget to praise Him, we fall asleep and when we finally stand up to praise Him, we feel a bit out of control.
I don't want to ever get out of practice. I don't want to fall asleep in my faith. Even when things aren't that great, Praise Him!
1 Corinthians 11:30
May we stay in praise practice, and not let the Rocks Cry Out! May we not end up in a heap at the bottom of the hill, but with our arms raised high and our faces toward the Son!
The small young group of us went and never thought to take lawn chairs, or even a blanket to sit on. We just plopped down on the side of a hill and and enjoyed the awesome harmony, deep bass and 'through the roof ' tenor. It was awesome.
However, unlike a contemporary concert or rock concert, we sat. We weren't standing for most of it like you would at a Toby Mac concert. We sat.
But Then........................
I can't recall the exact song, but they belted out the notes, and the tenor hit the high note, and the bass hit the low note and we all got blessed! I mean, knock your socks off BLESSED! We stood to our feet, as fast as they hit that one special note and everyone was clapping and cheering for Jesus!
HOWEVER...............................
My feet and legs had fallen asleep. I mean 'it's the middle of the night, you've taken sleeping pills and you're in your best REM sleep,' sleep! They were gone! I was beyond hope! Here we are at the top of the hill, and all I could see was these two little elderly ladies who had been sitting in their lawn chairs at the bottom of the hill who were now also standing to their feet cheering on the Cathedrals and praising Jesus! And I had Absolutely No Control of the lower half of my body!
As we all had SHOT to our feet, I started running uncontrollably down the hill to the little white headed ladies. I couldn't help it!! While the rest of my group probably thought I had gone pentecostal right then and there, I knew that I was going to run straight into the ladies and we would all end up in a heap in the dirt in front of the Cathedral Quartet.
I knew I had to do something to stop myself, but with no one there to understand my problem and come to my rescue, and as immediate of an action that I needed, I had no choice but to just SIT.
Have you ever tried to sit without the use of your legs while running down a hill like crazy crippled blessed person??? It's nearly impossible!! Impossible I tell you!!!
The grey heads were coming quicker, and I was panicking, so I just used mind over matter and made myself land on my butt! BOOM! It hurt! But at least I didn't crash into anyone!
I'm pretty sure I damaged my tailbone that day, that my friends thought I had lost my mind, and that a few elderly people thought I had just right then found Jesus for the first time ever!!! But the truth is, I had just fallen asleep.
Luckily the ladies down yonder never knew what almost hit them!
But as I was thinking about this story, I thought, 'Isn't that the way we are?' Sometimes we fall asleep in our faith. We forget to move. We forget to exercise our rights as a Christian. When we are stagnant and forget to praise Him, we fall asleep and when we finally stand up to praise Him, we feel a bit out of control.
I don't want to ever get out of practice. I don't want to fall asleep in my faith. Even when things aren't that great, Praise Him!
1 Corinthians 11:30
That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
May we stay in praise practice, and not let the Rocks Cry Out! May we not end up in a heap at the bottom of the hill, but with our arms raised high and our faces toward the Son!
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