Bombarded by Grace

I need to just take a moment to reflect on how unbelievably blessed I have been lately. I am seriously blown away by how good God has been to me, especially when I think about how much I don't deserve anything at all. I don't pray as I ought, I make poor decisions that lead me into sin, and I hide or ignore the gifts God has given me...and he responds by calling to me in such a way that leaves me no other option but to fall on my knees in prayer, gives me opportunities and reasons to be better as a person, and open doors to let me use my talents to glorify him.

I've always been incredibly blessed, but the past few months really blow everything else out of the water. It started at the end of last semester: in the span of one week, I completed my undergraduate education, was offered the first full-time job I every applied for within 24 hours of my interview, and was accepted to Duke Divinity School on a full scholarship. Talk about being bombarded by grace. And it was all such a huge affirmation of who I am and what I'm called to be, I almost couldn't handle it. Particularly in thinking about starting seminary in the fall, I'm still really struggling because I am simply levelled with humility in the face of the hopes and expectations laid on me.

Things only got better when I returned to Durham in January and started work. I found that working a 40-hour week is vastly different from being a full-time student, and suddenly, I had free time--to spend with friends, with the youth from my church, on reading and prayer and music. I had been wanting to use the spring semester to get back into playing and writing music, and a random run-in with a local musician gave me the inspiration I needed to pick up where I left off in high school. Little did I know, that musician (Gary Mitchell, www.myspace.com/visionrise) would later have me playing shows and open mics with him, and that an incredible new relationship would develop from a chance encounter at the mall. I don't deal well with coincidence, and it makes my brain implode to try and fathom just how lucky and blessed I have been for everything to have fallen into place so perfectly.

Then there's Afton, a company that contacted me about a year ago asking if I'd be interested in booking shows through them. I ignored the email at the time, because I wasn't doing music then, but they got back with me in December and I've been in contact. I was hesitant to commit to a show with them because I'm still insecure about my talent and my ability to recruit fans, but my show last Saturday and attending an Afton showcase last night gave me a little more confidence, and I'm pursuing that further. Doing something like that could get me plugged into performing more regularly, and I could even make a little money if I get enough people to come to a show.

Also, it turns out one of the guys I'm living with next year is an MC, and a really good one. Brandon (www.myspace.com/mcmmusic) invited me to perform with him next Friday at the Durham Senior Center. I don't understand how these cool opportunities just keep falling into my lap. My life is so much fun right now, even in the face of the impending graduation of my class at Duke (which really depresses me) and the weight of what I'll be taking on when I start seminary in the fall. I can't believe how good God has been to me. I am humbled and grateful. Life is amazing.