Praise Habit: Finding God in Guitars

This morning was See You At the Pole. The turn out at GHHS was awesome, I'd say a little over 100 people. Why can't we have SYATP every morning? Being able to pray before school with fellow Christians is such an encouragement to me. It helps me get excited to go into school and try to shine the light to all the unbelievers. It's so awesome to be able to show people how Christ has made our lives different and that we aren't afraid to stand up next to the flag pole and pray to our Heavenly Father. Please pray that the Christians of GHHS will be awesome examples of Christ's love for the world. Also pray for the First Priority groups that will be starting tomorrow. Pray that we will all be excited to be Christ's ambassadors at GHHS.

I recently learned this song by Seven Places on my guitar(awesome band):

Sleepers

Verse 1:
I went back to the park where we used to sit and talk for hours.
We'd laugh and make our plans. We swore that we'd be friends forever.
But oh how things change. Did you see this coming? It caught me off guard.
I never thought I'd see you forsake your first love.

Chorus:
It's been such a long long time since we have talked.
It's been such a long long time since we've seen eye to eye.
We used to feel the same. It's obvious to me:
We dreamt the same dreams but now you're awake
But I'm still sleeping.

Verse 2:
Winter's in the air and the wind it stings like ice, or
Maybe those are just the tears freezing in my eyes. I
Wish I could see you and tell you nothing's changed.
The God you once loved with all of your heart
Stayed the same, stayed the same, stayed the same

Chorus
I'm still sleeping X3

It's weird how you know a song for so long and then one day the words that you have been singing seem to have a whole new meaning. This song is it. I've been singing and playing this for a while now and I always think about the "black and white" meaning. One way you could view this song is like a letter to a friend. This friend has fallen away from the faith that they were accustom to. They may have even been a strong Christian but drifted away. The writer is questioning and trying to show his friend that God is always there. The friend has turned his back on God in a way and the writer is expressing the pain it is causing him to see his friend in that state.

A couple of days ago, while I was playing through this song, I was filled with a wave of emotions. I felt fear, peace, excitement, love, worry. I no longer saw this as a letter to the writer's friend, but rather a letter to me from myself. As I sat on my bed, progressing through each chord, tears ran down my face. Everthing that I had recently been facing in my life, all the emotions that I had been dealing with, was displayed on the piece of paper.

This entire summer and past couple of weeks was not always about being in a spiritual battle(Me vs. God or Me vs. Satan), but rather Me vs. Myself. Part of me wants so desperately to grow deeper in my relationship to God, to see things the way He does, to feel the comfort of my Father. The other side of me has drifted away from the mature relationship I have tried to hard to hang on to. I'll admit(this is tough) that I haven't been consistant in my devotion to God. I say this from the viewpoint that I don't spend everyday digging into His Word and praying the way I hope to pray: Passionately. I haven't been putting God first, yet that is the number one thing I strive for. Does anyone understand? I can't blame God for being distant, because it is I who has become distant. I feel as though I'm leaving a two-faced life: a girl who strives to shine for Jesus and lead as a godly example for others, reads her Bible everyday, establishes an amazing relationship with her Creator and feels peace and comfort in her life because she knows God is in control VS. a girl who spends more time caring about herself rather than others, putting her activities before everything else, striving for perfection in looks, grades, and attitude, and having an inner fear that she keeps built up inside.

I truly want to re-establish my relationship with God. This year I hope to put the "God must increase, while I decrease" saying into action. It's all about sacrifice for me. I need to place my needs and my desires aside in order to put God as my top priority. I hope to change my attitude in the process. I need to have a more positive approach towards every aspect in my life. This goes back to the idea that God is in control and if I put more faith in Him rather than in myself, I will have peace. Isn't God amazing? This is one of those God Moments where I stop and say "Thank You, God!! You are so AWESOME!!"