We were fortunate to spend the past 4 days enjoying good ole Denver CO, staying with Corey's uncle Brad and his beautiful wife Suzanne. After a full day of driving on Sunday, through a long stretch of flat, the mountains were a welcome sight. We arrived at their recently remodeled home in Arvada just in time for dinner. We met the "kids," two sweet and timid rescue dogs named Lizzie and Freckle and a friendly cat named Daisy. We spent the evening catching up over a wonderful home cooked meal. It was so nice to invest in some quality time with my new family. Having spent the past five years in Memphis, approximately 1,000 miles away from either of our families, Corey and I haven't had many opportunities to "get to know" the relatives. We welcomed the chance to visit at length, share stories and laughs and deepen our family ties.
On Monday we were booked to play at the Denver Rescue Mission's Lawrence Street Shelter in downtown Denver. The Lawrence Street Shelter, one of many ministries set up by the Denver Rescue Mission, is geared specifically toward men. Every night they house up to 300 men and offer 3 meals daily - serving over 1,000 meals every day. They also offer free medical, dental, optical and chiropractic care. Chapel services are hosted nightly and are led by volunteer speakers and musicians. In addition, The Lawrence Shelter is an entry point for DRM's rehabilitation program called New Life. Men who are committed to positive change are placed into a probationary period before they are entered into the New Life Program. During their probationary period they are assigned a position within the shelter, ranging from security to directing chapel services. We met one of these men who told us he worked 12 hour days, waking up at 4 or 5am to begin his tasks for the day.
We arrived at the shelter early and were greeted at the door by James, a New Life candidate in charge of the chapel services. He led us to the Chapel to set up only to find that we were actually supposed to be playing downstairs in the cafeteria for dinner. However the person who was supposed to speak for chapel never showed up so they asked us if we would be willing to play for the Chapel time instead. The mishap must have been God ordained because it ended up being the most powerful show we've ever put on. Playing at bars and coffee shops we grow accustomed to being background noise. A few people will gather in close and pay attention, but for the most part we set the mood for others to socialize. At the Chapel service however, the men gathered in and hung on every word. It was humbling and beautiful. Men of every color and every age, listening intently, seeking a word of hope. The Holy Spirit was very present throughout and it seemed He managed to bring greater meaning to our music that ever before. Bag of Bones encouraged the men that "there's still time, your old bag of bones can learn to fly. there's still time, your old bag of bones wasn't born just to die." Save Me reminded them that it is through sorrow and suffering that we grow and are sanctified. God goes with us, he loves pursues us, even in the Belly of a Whale. Every song offered a chance to bring a word of encouragement. Each testimony was greeted with an "amen" or applause. After Blood and Wine, written as a desperate cry for God, I asked the men if we could pray. The men responded with a resounding and enthusiastic yes and we went into a time of prayer. We ended the set with a couple upbeat tunes, the first beingTumbleweed. We encouraged the men to sink their roots down deep, draw life from the everlasting waters of God lest they become rootless, aimless, brittle - like a tumbleweed.
Jeremiah 17: 7-8
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
Tumbleweed had the men clapping and singing along and even brought one man (by the name of Durango Kidd) to his feet to dance. To give you a mental picture… Durango was an easy 75 years old - tall and thin with white hair and a long beard. He wore thick bifocal glasses, two pairs of jeans and a book stuffed into his waistband. He had a bright green sweatshirt, a cowboy hat over the hood, and a mexican poncho and danced "the cowboy" while the rest of the men cheered him on. Talk about the Joy of the Lord. We finished out with Ring of Fire, telling them that God's love is a burning flame that many waters cannot quench. It was truly the most significant show we've ever had. Afterward we were able to socialize with the men. We met Durango who started all his conversations by asking your birthday. After which he informed you of your astrology sign. Apparently Corey is an Aries and a natural born leader ;) We met Bill - a very sincere man who was deeply moved by our music. As well as Eddie who commented - I'm just chipping away… chipping away at a brick wall - one piece at a time. One of these days I'm gong to break through and see the light." Austin approached us to say that he really liked what we had to say. We could tell there was something going on under the surface as his eyes started to tear up. We asked if there was something we could pray for and he said "my life.. I mean my whole life has been sh***y." We prayed with him as well as Anthony - a young man with a loving spirit. We came to find he was a drummer who had gotten caught up in drugs and now hasn't seen his nine year old son for over a year and a half. "I'm walking in obedience to the Lord though… I prayed that I would find fellowship tonight and I met you guys." After we prayed for him, he prayed for us in return - asking that the Lord unify us as a couple and go with us on the road. We were totally blessed by him. After Chapel we went downstairs and ate dinner with the men. We met several more guys, some musicians, some passionate music lovers. We overheard Durango asking for more birthdays. It was a great time of fellowship.
I think its safe to say it was the best show experience we've ever had. Feeling the Lord present in our music, ministering to the men and being used by God gave us the confirmation that we are exactly where God intended us to be. We certainly had times of doubt as we prepared for this tour. We came across so many obstacles we started to wonder if we were really supposed to be doing this. Fear has a way of taking hold and preventing us from walking in the way of God. God's way is not always easy and it doesn't always make sense. At times it seems down right crazy. Its tempting to do the "safe" thing. The comfortable thing. But if we take the leap of faith, if we choose to walk in obedience - He reveals more and more of himself. And the richness of His blessing is far greater than our fears. If only we are willing silence our fears and choose the risky thing…
The Lord continued to confirm His plan for us on Wednesday when we took an impromptu trip into Estes Park to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Despite the freezing temperatures and driving winds up to 28mph, we drove almost 2 hours to the park, an incredible drive through the valley into the Rockies. We hiked up the mountain to Nymph Lake and down to Alberta Falls, bundled up tight against the cold but enjoying the breathtaking views. Then we headed into town to wander through the shops of Elkhorn Avenue. Just as we were hustling back to the car to head home, we caught glimpse of a giant sign that said COFFEE. "Babe - we are going there." Corey led us up a side street, through a winding courtyard to Caffe Collage. Grateful to be out of the cold, we entered a cozy coffee house decked out with comfy couches and decoupage tables. We were greeted by a young barista who shuffled across the room to put away her mandolin. Of course the folk instrument caught our eye so we struck up a conversation… Came to find that the girl, Rachel was part of a family band and that she was in fact the owner of the coffee shop - at the age of 21. Surprised that she would own a business at such a young age we asked her how it came to be - "Oh its all God. I wouldn't be here without him." She continued to share with us her story - and we shared ours. She asked us to play some music, offering her guitar. So we played a song and she played one in return - a beautiful rendition of the old hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus… She played an old upright piano that was gifted to her by a friend. "Everything in this shop was a gift from God, donated in some way…" Being the only ones in the cafe, save for Rachel's 10 year old sister Tahlia, we felt as though we were visiting an old friend. With a true gift for hospitality, Rachel made us feel right at home, visiting with us long after closing time. She sent us off with a bag of fresh ground coffee "on the house" and an open invitation to come back and play a show anytime.
As we left we had a profound sense of peace….realizing that the Lord truly has a plan and a purpose for this tour. We have made our plans, but the Lord is directing our steps. He has orchestrated not only our shows… but also the people we will meet - even those seemingly by chance… on last minute trips into the mountains…. And it is through His people that He reveals Himself… through the Body of Christ, the Church, that bears His image. We discover more and more of God's grace, power and beauty in the people we meet along the road. As they share their stories with us we see His work in them and it furthers our faith and trust in Him. We begin to understand the depth of His love - the fullness of His work. In every city we play, every town we pass, each person the crosses before us - He is there. Present and working. Pretty overwhelming when you try to grasp it. But we are blessed by the opportunity to discover even the smallest portion of His work and we eagerly await all that stands before us. Planned and unplanned.
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