Today we are at Chapel Rio Grande Valley in Belen, NM. It’s the last night of the tour, so make sure you come out if you’re able to. We have had such an awesome time on the road, but home sounds SO sweet right now.
The rest of this blog post is written by a dear friend of ours. Him and his wife have been such a source of encouragement, inspiration, and accountability in our lives. Several of Phil’s songs ( including a new one, which I’m sure you’ll be hearing soon!) are actually very directly inspired by them, and their testimony. I thought you might enjoy a word from a man who hugely impacts both Phil and I. Thank you Jeff Stewart for taking the time to write for us!
“Whenever I hear a message challenging me to be more like Jesus my mind immediately goes to all of the things that I need to “do” better……read the Word, pray, serve, love, and many, many other things. I then feel challenged and I make a mental, and spiritual, commitment to try harder and do better. This leads to me either forgetting about it (sometimes before finishing my next meal), or to feeling like a total failure when I realize that I haven’t been committed in the way I wanted to. In fact, I think a large part of my life with Jesus has been me feeling like a failure, in embarrassment that I have been unable to be what I should be.
About three years ago my life took a turn that would change my relationship with Jesus forever. My wife of 17 years was diagnosed with incurable, malignant cancer. It was the single most devastating day of my life. We were plunged into darkness in a way that is hard to explain. It forced us to reevaluate everything, including Jesus and our lives with Him.
What has come from this terrible situation is a beautiful realization….I really need Jesus!
I know this sounds incredibly simple, and in many ways it is, but I, and many others, have overlooked (or minimized) this reality.
As I have lived in this new reality of my deep need for Jesus, I have discovered the beauty of admitting how much I need Him, and the power and freedom that comes with this admittance. Crying out to Jesus allows me to rest and depend on Him.
The wonderful thing about seeing myself for who I am is that it allows Jesus to be who He is. I have found Him to be compassionate, forgiving, gracious, and absolutely full of love for me.
Today I know that the only way I can “surrender” to Jesus is to tell Him how much I WANT to have a surrendered heart, but without His help I am totally, and completely incapable of doing it. I so need Him.
I have a desire in my heart for anyone who loves Jesus to know that He also loves them. He knows them better than they know themselves, and what He wants most from any of us is to realize how desperately we need Him.”
