It’s not every day you meet someone and feel like you’re hanging out with Jesus. He asked his followers to live a certain way, and there’s a lot of people out there claiming to be “Christ-like”, by calling themselves “Christians.” Unfortunately, the real ones are actually hard to find. This shouldn’t surprise me I guess. Jesus himself said that the “road was narrow,” and that “few actually find it.” (Matthew 7:14)
These past two weeks have been the first time in about two years that just Kate and I have traveled without crew. That means I’ve loaded my own gear each day, EQ’d a lot of my own sound checks, and done all of the driving. We thought it’d be a nice break from the norm, and we also spent a few days off in Charleston, SC to celebrate our five year wedding anniversary, so it was a better idea for us to just enjoy some time together alone on the road. Turns out, it’s been an unbelievable blessing.
As some of you have heard already by following me via Twitter and Facebook, we’ve had a lot of engine trouble. We sputtered all the way into Charleston, and after spending almost a thousand dollars on repairs, we’re still having the exact same problem. We’ve managed to make it to each of our shows on time…it’s just been slow going. Kate also managed to almost break a bone in her foot and/or toe, and I got some sort of viral infection that gave me a terribly sore throat and difficulty speaking. But along the way, we’ve been nothing but blessed, church after church. And I feel like we’ve been hanging out with Jesus, through person after person, as they have represented him beautifully and shown his love to us in what really has been an overwhelming way.
In Elizabethtown, NC, the night we pulled in, a mechanic was there to look at our truck and help us out. The next night, a doctor showed up 90 minutes before our show, just to check out my throat, give me some drugs, and look at my wife’s foot. The volunteers helping out during both shows there were more than helpful. And the joy that existed among them was not of this world. Our experience in Spartanburg, SC was no different.
The past two days have been spent here in Roanoke, VA. We have one more show here tonight. My good friend Craig Tackett is planting a new church, and God is blessing the efforts of he and his people as they show Jesus to their communities and beyond. Love, joy, peace, kindness, and goodness abound here in an endless supply, and they serve others faithfully and selflessly. I can’t get over how beautiful it is. This has to be the expression and outcome of what Jesus meant when he used the words, “Thy kingdom come.” It just seems like a little slice of heaven, right here on earth.
While this trip has been filled with trials, (what’s new?), it is bittersweet, because just as much as we’re ready for a break and be home, we don’t want it to end. But I can imagine that’s perfectly natural. Because when you find Jesus and have the opportunity to feel like you’re hanging out with him by the way he’s represented through his followers, you kinda don’t want to leave.
If you’d ever like to visit him, go visit a little place called Elizabethtown, NC and spend time with the folks at Elizabethtown Baptist Church. Or spend a few days in Roanoke with Genesis Community Church. You’ll see what a healthy church looks like, and probably meet Jesus along the way.
Have you ever had an experience like this, and interacted with Jesus through one of his followers? If so, when? And where? I might decide to take a little trip, stop for a visit, and hang out for a while…
Tags: Craig Tackett, Elizabethtown Baptist Church, finding Jesus, Genesis Community Church, harris iii, healthy church, illusionist
[...] week, I blogged about finding Jesus. One of the people I mentioned in that post was my good friend, Craig Tackett. While in Roanoke, [...]