Monday, September 19, 2011

Squeeze

Do not be alarmed by the title of this post! This is not the embarrassing tale of bathroom advice your mom gave you, that malfunctioned at a family reunion while wearing Raggedy Ann culottes. (That's a true story for another time). It's actually the title of a song I hadn't heard in awhile by Eric Peters.

The first time I heard this song was in 2006 at my very first "Behold the Lamb" concert. Everything about that concert rocked my world and I am forever indebted to the Spirit's work in those songwriters life and their courage to share that with a bunch of strangers. I remember this man getting up and sharing about a crisis of faith and what it meant to him to know with certainty that God could handle his doubts. Maybe you have already figured this out about life, but at 20 and in bible college wrestling with so much knowledge; this felt like a brand new truth.  It spoke a freedom into my life I cannot fully express.

I've often thought of this song and even find myself making a fist and squeezing tight as a symbol of holding on to truth when it feels the most untrue. It is a powerful reminder of the refining work God is doing in our hearts and minds and souls- grinding away the rock to reveal the diamond inside.

Even though I don't know that I would have remembered the artists name (sorry Eric!), I did recognize it when I saw posters at work that he was coming to do a concert. And the timing could not be short of divine.

On Wednesday, I'm leaving for a 6 day vacation. A very necessary vacation. There has been a tremendous amount of dissonance in my life this summer, primarily in the past 2 months. I'm so thankful for the ways God is shaping me through that, but all that grinding is painful and exhausting as well.   It is so good for me to be reminded that this grinding I feel is not to destroy me, but to form me more clearly into the image of His Son. That is a hope my soul has been desperate to know!

It would have been cool to hear him sing it tonight, but it wasn't on his playlist and I was too chicken to call it out. :) I did talk to him after the concert though and I hope the story of how God has, and is using his music is encouraging. Take a listen- good stuff!

(And if you like that, check out him and other artists at Under the Radar)

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