My car is physically vibrating and humming due to how loud my music pumps. It’s sunny, 70 degrees and there’s a completely clear road in front of me. I probably scare all of the joggers as I drive by and likely the neighbors resent the sight of my car. The guitar solo in Fade to Black rips while I whip my little, blue Acura down Bull Mountain road and all I can think is, GOD IS SO GOOD. (And if my parents read this, whip is slang for go to speed limit and drive courteously)
Before I followed Christ, I hated gospel music. The language seemed like cheesy cliches that the artist decided to repeat a billion times over. Now, my playlist is full of gospel music because the cheesy cliches have become real life revelations. I love worshipping to Hillsong or Bethel music yet, there’s something so freeing about cranking the volume up as high as it goes, and blaring a Metallica album. I feel the same emotions that I feel when I worship in church; an identical overwhelming rush of my love for Jesus.
It’s not just Metallica though. Like I said earlier, I listen to a lot of music. I see God in the middle of a Portugal, The Man album or while listening to Kendrick or Chance. They may not all be… hmm… Christian appropriate (so scandalous) but wow do I feel my love for Him because it’s all a gift!
I have been incredibly humbled recently at the revelation of all the blessings the Lord has given me. It might be the new environment i’ve been tossed in, or the fact that I’m living out of a backpack for the next 9 months, but at home I would go through my day driving my car, listening to music, sleeping in a warm bed, and enjoying a sunny day and chalk it all up to a lucky, good day. It hit me how much I don’t credit God for these blessings. Fully aware that I wouldn’t always give him credit, He opens His hands and says, “here, enjoy this, I made it for you”.
I’m starting to see God in everything. As broad as my music, to as specific as the fact that I still haven’t lost my hydroflask! (If know me, that is a sign of God right there). God is everywhere, saturating my life and showing me His presence. Before I left, my dad made me his special fried chicken and I could have cried, it was SO GOOD. Then, I got to spend time with all my friends that I won’t get to see for 9 months, and had a couple heart to hearts. Finally, I had the best conversation during a drive with my best friend, Kaitlyn. GOD IS EVERYWHERE! Now, I have this incredible opportunity to humbly serve the country of Cambodia, and learn the culture from the actual location – instead of from google or in a book.
Worship has changed and adapted now. It’s not always listening or singing gospel music for an hour, but listening or singing any music and crediting God for its creation. Worship has become waking up in the morning and saying, God, It’s all you today- tell me where to go. I credit these gifts all to the Lord, and that is the way I worship Him daily.
Now, sitting in my little bunk bed, while the rain hits my window in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I get to worship Him through my writing. Through my written praises to Him that get to reach my entire community back home – how dope is that?! I look at my team of fabulously quirky and fantastic girls, and see that we have no guitar or ukelele to sing worship with but we still don’t seem to mind. There’s a million ways we can worship Him without it.
I’m slowly learning how to see Him in everything, even the hard parts that are about to come. We are currently only a week into our lives here in Cambodia, and God has been working hard in my heart , teaching me what it looks like to worship Him, and overflow into the people around me. He shows me where He needs me and how much hope and abundant love He has for this country and the people. It’s incredible to see a country be so gracious and humble in the recent aftermath of a harsh, government regime (look up the Khmer Rouge if you don’t know- it’s heavy). Even after going through hardship and tragedy, Cambodians open their home, give you a place to sit and say “come, join us”.
So thank the Lord for our lives, thank the Lord for the gracious and beautiful Cambodians and thank the Lord for Metallica.
