The same song

You probably think after reading my old entry "Nobody loves you as I do", that I became close to God for the meaning of that song and how powerful was for me to hear it those days, but not really. Yes, the Lord touched me using that song and I still remember that day, but hey, my life wasn't fear at that point; according to me God was too busy taking care of everybody else to focus on my silly problems; I felt like dying alone and you know, the song was really nice but what happen after that night was, that I forgot about Him, about the one who loved me with such a precious and incredible love. I kept my life going the same way, going to church on Sundays, praying, a little too much different of how I do it today, and still thinking that I couldn't come closer to God because of all my sins...oh, silly me!

In 2002, I started my universities studies at Pamplona; it's a city located at the "Norte de Santander" department of Colombia, just eight hours away from my hometown. I started living alone, with no family members. It was fun for a while; new friends, new challenges, new stories, a whole new life. The first year wasn't bad, but the following one brought so many surprised that changed my life 100%. But the beginning of 2003 my heart was broken again and I remembered about that song and how powerful it was that night at high school. I wanted to have it, to listen to it again and again. I couldn't remember the lyrics but I knew the singer used to play the guitar, and between his songs, he would say something else about God's love and mercy. That was all I had plus a classmate who was a little different from the rest, (Manuel) at list he looks like a nice person. For some of our classes, I knew he was going to a different church, so I figured he would knew about that song. One day before we entered our classroom I asked him if he had heard a song that says something about God's love and the singer used to play the guitar and talk for a while about the Lord; it was good to try with the description I had, don't you think? Well, back at those days I had no clue about all the singers who praise God, so I thought it will be easy. Well, he wasn't sure which one I was talking about, but he did say he will give me a cassette with some songs from this singer he knew and he did. The next day, I think, he gave me the cassette full with songs but no one was the one I wanted, although I loved the music. The singer was Marcos Witt, who is also Pastor, good singer that praise God's name. You can hear one of his songs that started in Spanish and then he sings in English at at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV8U2bCgqTY&feature=related

Then, Manuel ended up giving me like three more cassettes with Marcos Witt music; of course he asked me first if I had listened and liked the first one and I did, so I took the others too. After a few months I got an invitation from Manuel to go to a friendship day party at his church, which was an Assemblies of God church, and after a few days of thinking and talking to family and friends I went. My mom told me not to go, because they are so much different, she said, and she was right. But Lore, my best friend, told me to go, besides I could get to know Manuel better and of course I did.
After that service I went back home so scared...people talked in languages, clapping and praising, raising their hands...wow! I remember myself sitting and asking God to help me get out of there and I would never go back...Silly me, one more time. But I wasn't used to all of that, it was just too much to process at one visit. :) I decided not to go back to the church, but I kept the cassettes, after all I liked the music; I did start going to Bible study groups on Saturdays, and then I moved to an apartment far away from the house where the Bible study was taking place, so I found a perfect excuse for not to go anymore. One more time I run from God, but He was there working.

You probably ask how come God was working there; well, remember the song? I heard it for the first time when I was in high school, like four or five years later I found myself looking for the same song again and I just heard it yesterday; the good thing now is that I know who the singer is, and what's the title, so it will be easy to find this time. But if it wasn't for that song, I would never have talked to this guy, if he hadn't given me those cassettes I would never have listened to christian worship music, and of course I would have never gone to an Assemblies of God church....and of course nothing happen just by chance. I do believe the Lord place that song for an specific purpose on my life, I am totally sure He sent Manuel right there at the same class for a reason and when I asked this guy why he invited me to his church for a friends party and not actually one of his friends, he told me: "I was praying, asking God to reveal a person who needed Him and he told me you" That's why I believe God was working, He orchestrates everything!

If you find today running from God, stop doing it and turn to Him; if you know you are called to do something to glorify His name, just do it. And I am not talking about preaching or going to missions, that works too; but maybe the Lord is calling you to do a good job where you're working, maybe He is telling you to be a good husband or wife, to be a good son or good daughter, just don't run away from Him, because it's so much fun to run with Him and not from Him!!!