The snowflakes looked like streams of glowing fiber-optic string in the car headlights as we zoomed cautiously down the highway back to Philadelphia. It was Friday night and we had just done a vespers program of The Lamb Wins at Blue Mountain Academy in Hamburg. Jennifer and I talked about the possibility that the concert the next morning at the Indonesian Pioneer Memorial Church in New Jersey would be cancelled due to the bad weather. Jennifer also told me that Deana, who had performed with us at Blue Mountain Academy, would also be coming to the show the next morning. Little did we know that God would end up using what would look to us like disadvantages to his advantage. After waking up early the next morning I called Deana to confirm that we were meeting at Jen’s before heading to New Jersey as a group. She didn’t pick up. I figured she was getting ready or on her way so I decided to get ready myself before heading out to my mom’s snow-covered car. While driving to Jen’s, I called Deana again. This time my phone call woke her up.
“Deana, are you coming to the concert?” I asked.
“Jen called it off because of the snow!” Deana said groggily. After a short discussion, we realized she had dreamed Jen had called the concert off. Then Deana rose and checked out the streets around her house. She found that her streets had not been plowed and she would be unable to drive until they were.
Moving forward, Jen and I left from her home and arrived about 90 minutes later at the church to meet the other singers--Ranny, Krystal and Roxanne. We needed to know if Deana was coming or not because it would affect which songs we would sing. I called her.
“The streets still haven’t been plowed, so I won’t make it!” she said, “But I’ll pray for you!”
It turned out that her prayers may have accomplished more for the Kingdom than her presence and her amazing voice could have.
Earlier that day when we arrived at the church, the parking lot was full of snow. The elders were shoveling away, when a young man named Carlos saw them. He decided to come over and help, even though he had just finished shoveling his own church’s parking lot across the street. They invited him to stay for church and he said he would. He went home to change and began to have second thoughts about coming, but decided he would stick to his commitment. He ended up being tremendously blessed by the service and signing up for The Lamb Wins Revelation Bible studies!
After the service, we all had lunch followed by a screening of The Lamb Wins documentary. After the documentary we had a question and answer session with the director of the film, Justin Mclaughlin, myself, and Jennifer. Carlos asked us a few questions during the session but after it was done, I ended up talking with him personally. The conversation we had ended up being a huge blessing to me. He told me that he was especially blessed by the raps that I did in The Lamb Wins. Being an avid rap fan before becoming a Christian, he had struggled ever since his conversion to find rap that was speaking truth. I resonated with his frustration. He longed for quality music, finding lyrics that would almost be what he was looking for but yet always missing the mark, even if ever so slightly. I could tell that the rap on The Lamb Wins was meeting a need as he told me again and again to keep doing it and that God had really used it to speak to him.
Please pray for Carlos and for me, that we may continue to grow in Christ and that God can continue using The Lamb Wins and my rhymes for His glory.
- Lee Givhan