What hope of glory do you have?
When I was 20, I was spending a year in a Kansas college focusing on English composition and journalism. But I’ll let you in on a little secret if you promise not to tell anyone else. Promise? Good. During that year, and a few years after, I had a sort of hope of glory that I figured would come with being some kind of rockstar. I know…shocker! What kind of young guy ever thinks of such things…right?
I didn’t know it at first, but music would change the course of my life.
Leaving college was the first good decision I made. Even way back then they were lacing all the studies with anti God ideology. And my Christian background made me stubborn enough to resist the subtle indoctrination. But that’s not what I want to share with you today.
It wasn’t until a few years later, and a lot of job descriptions, that I began to pursue a career in music. That is…after it kinda pursued me first. My brother and I would sing songs around the pool in an apartment complex where we lived, and we built quite a loyal following. Next thing we knew (and I’m giving you the condensed version of the story) we were auditioning at lots of local live music spots in Houston, Texas. We’d work as carpenters during the day and sing wherever we could each evening and weekend.
Eventually we landed a regular “gig” as the featured happy hour entertainment in a very popular local nightclub. It was regular music work, three hours every weeknight, and we’d get to see who the late night bands were on the weekends. Before long other local spots would send managers and reps to see us. No more auditions. And we started getting the juicier gigs. We had “made it” in the local scene. Traveling the country was next.
Fortunately I grew out of my so-called hope of glory.
Through several acts, band names, and solo stints I continued to write songs and sometimes contacted record companies letting them know I was available. 😎
One day, after years in the music business, I decided I no longer liked most of the typical venues I’d played so long. And I no longer wanted the so-called “glory” of a secular musical career. Something else became more important to me. Eternity. In fact, it seemed much closer to me than ever before (probably because it was…and is) so I figured I’d better put more focus on what it was all about.
That’s when a new hope of glory began to guide my words and music.
The power of words and music still burns as bright as ever in my heart. But now I know how much more important it is to use whatever abilities I have with words and music to tell others about who gave them to me. And if the story I share about Jesus being the only way to eternal life is false, then I’m one of the biggest fools who ever lived. Because not only have I perpetuated a lie…but I’ve also wasted hours, days, weeks, and years writing and singing about that lie.
But guess what? It’s not a lie. The mountains and mountains of evidence boldly point to there being a Creator who created all this earthly and heavenly creation. And He is my hope of glory. Do you have that hope? Do you want it?
If there is a Creator of all life, there is hope.
And if not, there is only doom and gloom.
But I know my Creator’s promises give me hope.
And they started when He made me in the womb.
Stay tuned,
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