Well, I said last time it would be my final blog, but let me catch you up on my life since I got back to Kansas.
I came home late September, somewhat quietly. Two weeks before the Race ended, I found out my housing in Wichita was no longer available. I calmly called my mother from the Philippines, knowing God was up to something. She and my step father graciously allowed me to move in, but all of a sudden, I was in a small town I had not lived in for 6 years with no friends and no job.
A couple weeks went by and the Lord blessed me immensely with a job at a bank! After landing the job, I took a week to go to Georgia for Project Search Light, our final World Race event before parting ways with one another for good. And my GOODNESS, did the Lord work in that!
He reached a part of my heart involving music that I was so tightly gripping. I have been so afraid God would not use my gifts, that He would do what I consider to be wasteful and use them quietly. Considering I am a soprano who plays trumpet, this whole quiet thing absolutely does not work for me.
BUT HE WRECKED ME.
“Your entire life is a trust exercise with me.”
“Take me or leave me. You can only choose one.”
“I AM your calling.”
“I would really like to join you. To sit on that piano bench beside you, lay back and close my eyes.”
The Lord spoke so many things over my calling and my life with music, the things I have been tight-fisted with. He made me realize He doesn’t waste our passions, desires, or callings. The day after He revealed all this to me, He blessed me with my first-ever gig in Kansas City, just to show me He can make things happen and I have permission to have faith (the gig was SO FUN, by the way).
LISTEN TO ME PEOPLE – IF GOD HAS GIVEN YOU A PASSION HE WANTS TO USE IT FOR HIS GLORY WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
I am terrified of stepping back into the music world, because honestly I am scared of falling flat on my face and failing. I don’t even try sometimes because I am so afraid of failing. But as the Father graciously brings me back to music again, He digs up one more piece of me each time that allows me to conquer this fear. Lately, God has been making me put my trust in Him a LOT deeper, which is something I prayed for on the Race. He asked me to start a Kickstarter, which is a fundraising campaign that will allow me to record my album, Discovering Home. The best part? He asked me to raise $5500 in only 20 days.
Discovering Home is a very vulnerable piece of work. It tells of my journey before, during, and after the Race, in hopes of inspiring other musicians to take a look at their identity and dreams in a whole different way. I fought and fought with God on committing to a Kickstarter for this thing, until one afternoon He whispered James 2 to me, which is all about faith without deed is worthless and dead. Whoa. This is funny, because that morning he asked me to do it and I instead asked my financial guru friends for advice. Then, after reading James 2, I thought “Okay God, I should be obedient.”I love it when He convicts me.
Another great part to all of this? He asked me to have a new stage name, to separate my identity from the music and market my music under a name people will remember. My stage name is now Izzy Byers (Ya’ll can still call me Mary Beth). It is a derivative of my middle name, Elizabeth, patented by a sweet coworker of mine.
So, I have a new name, I am in a new land, a new job, a new season of life. God is asking me to do things so radical that I don’t understand. Some days, I feel great and faithful about the decisions I am making. Other days, the worldly thoughts creep in to tell me God isn’t real and He certainly can’t make these things happen in my life. But guys, our God is so real, so true, so gentle, so loving. He has been teaching me the ways He is a Father, a lover, and a friend, and I am so so so so soooooo in love.
If you guys feel led to join my Kickstarter Campaign, you have a chance to put the CD in your hands when you donate. It would mean the world to me! I know this is just the beginning of the purpose God has place in my life, which is to minister to the musician. I can’t wait to see what He does with all of it.
Here is the link and video if you feel led to donate:
Thank you for every opportunity you all have given me, it has greatly impacted my life and my walk with the Lord. You have changed my life and my stride with the Kingdom of Heaven. May God bless you all for everything you have done for me.
Merry Christmas, everyone. May it be merry and bright.
With love,
Mary Beth
