It was July 28, 1982.
I had just finished my second year of college and was home for the summer in Andrews, Texas.
The First Baptist Church of Seminole—just 28 miles away—was having revival services with a different guest preacher and soloist each night. I happened to be the guest soloist that night. I can’t remember the first couple of songs I sang before the sermon, but after the sermon I was to sing one more.
I also can’t remember what I had planned to sing, but when I sat down at the piano I had the overwhelming sense—unlike any such sense I had ever experienced at the ripe old age of 20—that I was supposed to sing a particular song by Keith Green.
For anyone unfamiliar with that name, he was an amazing Christian artist whose songs powerfully influenced the lives of many people (particularly in my age group) in that time period.
The song was “Make My Life A Prayer to You,” from which came the title of his 1978 album, “No Compromise.”
Some of the lyrics:
Make my life a prayer to You / I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies / No token prayers no compromise
I wanna shine the light You gave / Through Your Son You sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair / It comforts me to know You’re really there
I wanna thank you now / For being patient with me
Oh it’s so hard to see / When my eyes are on me …
The next day I learned that Keith Green and 10 other people had been killed in a plane crash the day I had sung his song.
I’ve sung that song many times in many places in the past 40 years and I always remember those circumstances. I’ve also sung it many times alone and made it my own prayer: “Thank you, Lord, for being patient with me. Help me not be so focused on me. Help me shine Your light.”
This morning I thought of another song from the same album. Some of the lyrics from “Asleep in the Light” often refocus me:
Bless me, Lord. Bless me, Lord / You know it’s all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts / No one even sheds one tear
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds / And He cares for your needs
And you just lay back and keep soaking it in
Ouch!
So what triggered that memory this morning? I read Zechariah 8:13.
“Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and YOU WILL BE A BLESSING. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.” (emphasis mine)
The original context of this is obviously a message to a particular group of people, but I see in it a principle that is always true: Our blessings are never simply for our own benefit or enjoyment. They are for the transformation of our identity.
And our identity is laden with the special privilege and responsibility to pass along the blessings we receive. We must see ourselves in the light of God’s purpose for our lives in order to fulfill His desire for us. When we are amazed by God and determine to join Him in His amazing activity in the world, we will be conduits—not reservoirs—of His blessing. We will BE the blessing we were created to be.
Be a blessing and be amazing today, my friend.
